Naruto: The Paths to Power
by indigonitelite
Summary: After failing to retrieve Sasuke, Kakashi leaves Team 7 with Naruto falling under Gai's tutelage. With a Chuunin exam in the Hidden Cloud soon, Naruto must deal with old foes, and new threats targeting both Konoha and everyone he cares about.
1. Always Changing, Always Moving

I don't own Naruto or any of the characters, settings, etc. therein. I guess I kind of own any characters that I make on my own partly, so I guess I own imaginary people. Go me.

_Part 1: Always changing, Always moving_

"_I am more special than you," Sasuke gloated over him in his new form._

He kicked the practice log, again, and again, harder with each progressive kick...

_The Chidori's scream pierced the air with only the sound of his own whirling Rasengan to dampen it..._

His rhythm increased. He kept at a steady pace but his power was gradually increasing. He was both punching and kicking the log now, harder and harder, again, and again, and again...

_The two forces collided, causing a massive charka backlash that resonated throughout the valley..._

He was now pummeling the log. Small splinters seemed to move in slow motion off of it as he continued his relentless beating of the practice target. He was grunting with his movements now, attempting to add even a little bit more power into each and every shot...

_They had aimed for different spots, Sasuke's chidori was aimed for his vital areas just above his heart, while Naruto aimed for the forehead protector, wishing only to knock his friend unconscious. The Chidori hit its mark, and Naruto remembered the last sound of his own breath leaving, in one long exhale, before darkness consumed him..._

"Ahhhhh!" He let out a blood curdling scream before taking all the force he had inside of him and focusing it into a single puch that left a sizable dent in the log, going all the way to the middle. It was an amazing hit...and a huge mistake.

"AAAAAOOOOOOOWWWWW!" Naruto screamed before he collapsed to the ground in sheer pain. The shockwaves in his hand seemed to send the pain throughout the rest of his body, as he snapped back to reality.

It really was a nice day in Konoha village. The seasons had just begun to change, and the usual green of the forest had long gone into a golden-red hue that seemed to hug the village and leave a warm feeling in the hearts of everyone. But fall was nearing its end now, and the last of the leaves had begun to fall. Winter was approaching, and although the snow never was substantial here, Naruto hated seeing the life almost sapped from the village with the seasons. However, none of that mattered now, only the throbbing of his hand along with the stupid, unwieldy punch he had thrown consumed his thoughts.

"What's up Naruto, taking a break already?" said a very deep and almost taunting voice from behind him.

"Shut up Gai-Sensei, can't you see I've just broken all the fingers in my hand!" Gai-Sensei, he would never get used to calling him that. Naruto preferred 'That-weird-super-faggy-bowlcut-guy'. Oh course, he couldn't call him 'Thickbrows'. No, that was Lee's name.

'Lee,' he thought, 'never imagined I'd be on a team with him.' He watched Lee, almost lackadaisically as Lee methodically pounded on his own log. He was standing on his right leg, using his left for a series of rhythmic, rolling kicks on the log, causing a sizeable amount of damage on it. Naruto observed his own log. He had done quite a bit of damage to it. Large chunks were cut out of it, along with a sizeable dent to remind him of this day, as well as a broken hand.

However, Lee's damage to the practice target seemed much more organized that his own. Sizeable parts seemed to be missing from it, as the log took a very misshapen look, almost like an hour-glass with two large holes in the top of it. Lee continued to pound on the same spot, over, and over, and over, never ceasing, not even stopping whenever Naruto had screamed out in pain over his bad punch. He had been frenzied, almost possessed whenever he returned from the failed mission four months ago. Every training exercise consumed him, almost as if he was striving for something harder than he had ever been.

Naruto, while confident in his own ability to beat Lee, had to admire how much harder he worked than everybody else. However, even Lee was beginning to tire. He had been at the log when Naruto had gotten there, starting with basic punches. Whenever Naruto had left and returned after lunch, Lee was still going, except he was hitting right kicks, much akin to what he was doing now. He didn't know when Lee switched sides, or if he even left the log at all. Nevertheless, even Lee had his limits. Naruto could hear his breathing becoming more labored with each passing strike, and his normally green bodysuit had been so stained with sweat that it looked almost black. Naruto looked down with satisfaction to see that his own clothes were stained as well. Like always, he had worn his orange, training clothes, except these ones were different. This suit was the one he wore on the mission four months ago. He never did repair the gaping hole where Sasuke impaled him. Whenever they returned, that's when things began to change...

"_WHAT?", said Naruto, "You can't be serious!"_

_Naruto looked up at his then sensei Hatake Kakashi. Kakashi was dressed in his usual Jounin garb, a black bodysuit underneath his green vest. His grey haired was placed in his usual spiky, and seemingly messy style, much like his personality. _

"_I'm sorry Naruto, but I'm going to have to disband team 7," said Kakashi._

_Naruto simply couldn't believe it. Was he going to have to go back to the academy? Did he do something wrong? Was this about the failed mission? Questions seemed to flood his thoughts, but all he could ask was a simple, "Why?"_

"_Its nothing personal Naruto, I just feel that my talents as a teacher are not good enough to permit both you and Sakura the growth you two desperately need," said Kakashi, in his almost bored tone of voice._

"_No Kakashi-sensei, you are an excellent teacher. We've learned so much from you," said the pink-haired girl next to Naruto._

_Kakashi smiled. Even though his face was covered halfway, you could always tell when he was smiling._

"_Thank you Sakura," he said "but I have other matters to attend to as well. Besides, I've found teachers that can help your growth much better than I can. Sakura, with the recent promotion of Shikamaru to the Chuunin squad, you will be part of Asuma-Sensei's team."_

_Sakura scowled inwardly at this. 'The same team as that pig Ino!" she thought._

_Although Naruto was fond of Kakashi, he was also interested in who he would consider for himself. The last time Kakashi had given him to a different teacher, he wound up with that closet pervert Ebisu. _

"_And for you Naruto," said Kakashi, "Neji has recently been taken out of Gai's care so that Hiashi can train him personally. That means..."_

"_That you will be left in the hands of a more superior and much more gorgeous sensei!"_

_Naruto turned around to see Gai appear in a puff of smoke, in his usual pose, on the back of a large turtle. Gai sported his usual bowl cut and green bodysuit, with matching green vest, and decided making his entrance with a wide variety of poses would be most fitting._

"_Wh-WHAT?!" yelled Naruto, "you're leaving me with Thickbrow's sensei? HOW IS THIS AN IMPROVEMENT?"_

"_What?" said Gai, almost in a state of shock, "Has no one ever told you of the many exploits of Konoha's Beautiful, Azure Beast. Why my name is known and feared far and wide as the deadly, determined, and devilishly good looking ninja master Gai!" He then ended this lengthy introduction with a whooping-crane pose complete with ocean background. _

_Naruto always wondered how he did that, but right now he was more concerned with the fact that he was going to be trained by this idiot._

"_But all that is unimportant," said Gai, "for you see Naruto, with my superior training abilities, I will mold you into a fiery youth that will command the attention and respect of everyone in the leaf village and beyond! I promise." To which he ended with his usual thumbs up and shining smile combination._

"_Really?" This was not an offer Naruto could turn down easily. Thickbrows and Thickbrows' Sensei were known for keeping their, good-guy-pose promises. _

"_Certainly," said Gai, "now, let us begin. THE CALL OF YOUTH, 500 laps around the practice range. Begin!"_

"_NOW?" said Naruto, "but, can't we get lunch first?"_

"_True men of youth earn their lunch," said Gai, "Oh, and you'd better get a notepad to write these lessons down, I can't stop to repeat all my pearls of wisdom."_

_Gai promptly dragged a kicking and screaming Naruto to the practice range._

"_Oh well," thought Sakura, "I guess Ino's not so bad."_


	2. Part 11: A Most Important Announcement

Part 1.1: A Most Important Announcement

That had been four months ago, and it seemed that Gai-sensei had been good on his word. Although Gai wasn't the best jutsu teacher (_A jutsu only goes as far as the man who uses it. Build yourself up first, so that you may not even need it. –Gai Sensei)_, and most of his 'pearls of wisdom' made little sense, he could not find fault in Gai's training methods. Which were even by normal standards, rigorous and horribly exhausting. Naruto could see why even someone with as little talent as Lee could prosper under his methods.

"All right my students, gather round, I have a most important announcement to make." Gai said with a bit more enthusiasm than usual.

TenTen and Naruto halted what was left of their training walked across the practice field to the rock where Gai-Sensei had perched himself. However, Lee continued with his exercises; he looked almost like he was in a trance. Either he had not heard his sensei speak, or he did not care.

"Lee," said TenTen, "Gai-sensei is calling for us." Still no reply, he continued his rhythmic kicking of the log, seemingly lost in his own movements. "Lee, LEE!" she said so loud that the next village over might have heard it. Lee still didn't move. It was almost like he was in another world. Naruto rolled his eyes in disdain, 'He's always like this anymore,' he thought, 'He usually snaps out of it eventually though.'

However, Gai would not wait. Naruto could read the annoyance on his face, and Gai was very impatient when he wanted someone's attention. Suddenly, he jumped from his rock and sprinted towards Lee, blowing leaves into the air as he passed by. He stopped suddenly by the log Lee was kicking, making the dirt pile up at his feet at the sudden halt. Still, Lee did not seem to even notice how Gai's movements made his bowl hair move sporadically in the wind, gently slapping him in the face.

"Huaaah, YOU FOOL!" shouted Gai. He quickly followed up his comment with a fierce punch to the face, sending Lee sprawling backwards. Naruto was shocked the first time Gai had done this, but with Lee's mindset being so focused on training, it was a very common occurrence. Now, he just watched absentmindedly as Gai continued to berate his student back to reality.

Lee slowly got up, almost as if he was coming out of deep sleep. The sight of his angry sensei getting ready to throw another punch at him woke him from his trance quickly though. He rose quickly to his feet, eyes completely open, his stance in a very shaky salute.

"Yes Gai-Sensei, I understand Gai-Sensei...Sorry Gai-Sensei," Lee blurted out very quickly. It was the same thing he said every time Gai reprimanded him.

"Lee, one must always pay attention to their sensei's most knowledgeable pearls of wisdom. Hard-work comes in many forms Lee, and listening to your sensei is one of them," Gai lectured him, as he always seemed to do after a physical attack.

"I see.", said Lee, and he quickly pulled out his notepad and began frantically writing every word Gai spoke, as if it were some holy doctrine.

"Now," said Gai, finally retaining his composure, "sit with your youthful peers, and listen to the words of your sensei, so that your youth will not be spent in vain."

Lee nodded, and quickly joined Naruto and TenTen by Gai's posing rock. Gai quickly reappeared in a puff of smoke, back on his rock, ready to give whatever speech he had brought them here for.

"Well then," said Gai, "I have some most important information for you from our Hokage Tsunade-sama..."

'Tsunade,' thought Naruto, 'I haven't heard from her for nearly four months. I wonder what our illustrious, chronic-gambling, foul-mouthed Hokage has to say now."

"So," interrupted Naruto, "What's the old woman got to say to us."

He felt a sharp slap come across his face after the end of this comment. TenTen yelled, "Idiot, show some respect to Tsunade-Sama." Naruto shot a dirty look at TenTen before he began to rub his cheek to dull the pain, which only served to remind him that his hand was probably broken when he used it.

Gai chuckled, and continued on, "Anyway, Hokage-sama has requested the presence of a few Genin teams, along with their Jounin Senseis for a most special and important announcement concerning an upcoming event for Konoha."

Lee suddenly stopped in his furied writing of Gai's words and shot his hand up in the air. "Oh, Gai-Sensei, Gai-Sensei, Gai-Sensei, Gai-Sensei!" he repeated, hysterically trying to get his teacher's attention, even though he was only 2 feet away from him.

"Yes Lee."

"Does this have to do with the upcoming Chuunin exam to take place only a month from now Gai-Sensei?"

Naruto furrowed his brow. Finally, after having finally put the pieces together, he asked, "Wait, wait, there's a second Chuunin exam?"

"Oh course you idiot," said TenTen, eliciting another dirty look from Naruto, "there are two Chuunin exams every year so that those who failed the first can still pursue the Chuunin rank with what they learned in the first one."

"Quite right TenTen," said Gai, "but Hokage-sama has not given me any information about this meeting. However," to which he changed his pose to where he turned to the sun, reflecting the sunlight off his overly white teeth in a dazzling smile, "using my amazing deductive and reasoning skills, I am almost assured that your suspicions are correct. And if I'm wrong," to which he switched once again to his usually 'nice-guy' pose, "I'll do 10,0000 laps around the practice range with a 200 pound log on my back."

"Wow, isn't Gai-Sensei incredible!" shouted Lee, as if he were trying to eliminate any doubt of otherwise in anybody around.

Naruto sighed and rolled his eyes at that comment, "Yeah, he's something alright," he said.

"Thank you," said Gai, "but for now, you all have the rest of the day to yourselves. Just meet back at Hokage-sama's office in about three hours. Don't be late and waste your passionate youth on frivolous pursuits."

The team began to separate. Naruto suspected Tenten was going back to here house, wherever that was. Lee stayed behind, no doubt to attempt Gai's passionate promise that he doubted even a Hokage could accomplish. He however, would take Gai-Sensei's words to heart and spend his youth on a 'most important task'. Dinner.


	3. Part 12: Of Ramen, Meetings, and Pervert...

Part 1.2: Of Ramen, Meetings, and Perverts

The one good thing about Gai's insane training was that it always left him with quite an appetite, and this was no exception. He had staked out his favorite spot on a stool at his favorite restaurant, eating his favorite food, Ramen. He slurped up mouthfuls of the stuff at a time, and quickly finished of five bowls in about ten minutes. He usually savored his Ramen, eating it slow enough to allow it to melt in his mouth and achieve the desired flavorful effects. He stared into his bowl of ramen dreamily...

'Look at it, quite possibly the most beautiful sight known to man,' he thought, 'Ramen. The perfect food, quite possible the ninja's greatest invention.' He began to swirl it almost in a surreal state as the noodles wrapped around his chopsticks. He sighed deeply, 'Surely this is what Hokages must pass their time with, thoughts of Ramen and other delicious foods.' He sighed deeply. This was his vacation from the worries of the world, from Gai-sensei's constant, stupid, training regimes. This was amazi-

"Hey, I'd prefer if my customers didn't have intimate moments with their meals," came a very gruff voice from in front of him.

Naruto's eyes shot forward, meeting the glaring stare of the man in front of him. The owner of this particular ramen cart was somewhat of a grouch, but he always seemed to perk up whenever Naruto was eating (probably because Naruto was his best customer). He heard some stifled giggling and turned his head to see that the girl who worked here as well was laughing at him.

"You're lucky your ramen's good old man, or I may take my business elsewhere. I don't like to be insulted when I'm eating." This threat seemed to work, as the owner quickly backed off.

Finally, after Naruto had finished about seven bowls of ramen, he got up to leave and was about out of earshot of the cart when the owner called back to him. "Oy, wait a second Naruto, I almost forgot," yelled the owner after him.

"What do you want old man, I've got a very important task to do, and I can't be bothered," said Naruto in a very brattish tone.

"Well fine," said the owner, "Maybe you're not interested in any free ramen."

The owner swore he'd never seen anyone move that fast. In the blink of an eye, Naruto was back in his usual spot, having knocked down ten or eleven people in the process. He could still see track he'd left in the ground, ending in the ramen stand, which rattled as if hit by the fury of a tornado. The owner had raised his arms to defend himself from such a deadly force. However, it was only Naruto, sitting in his spot with large bright eyes and a really huge grin plastered on his face, waiting in excitement.

"Free ramen, for me, REALLY," Naruto said in such excitement, people could have sworn that this 'free ramen' granted wishes.

"Well, I don't know," said the owner. He gave Naruto and indignant stare and then turned his back to him. "I'm not really fond of giving free ramen to ungrateful little brats like you."

'Ungrateful little BRAT!' thought Naruto. That would have elicited a sizeable beating if anyone else called him that. However, the man was holding his free ramen hostage, so he would control himself this time.

Naruto sighed, and then bowed his head and moved his hands into a mock prayer. "Oh please honorable god of the ramen stand," he said, "Your servant humbly begs you for your amazing ramen. Please, have mercy." He swore, if his ramen wasn't so good he would have beaten this jerk to a pulp.

"Well that's more like it," said the owner, "Just let me get it."

Naruto's mouth salivated; he simply could not believe he was getting FREE ramen. He'd never gotten anything free in his life except for slaps in the face from Sakura-chan and insults from about everyone else in the village. He couldn't wait for it. The owner was now bringing his ramen to him, he could see the steam slowly wafting towards him. He could have sworn that he was taking an eternity to get back to him. Finally, he set the bowl down in front of him. Naruto's eyes brightened and his mouth opened prepared to consume the feast before him. However, as soon as he got sight of the concoction the owner had placed before him, his face changed from amazingly cheerful, to just confused.

He wasn't exactly sure what it was that was before him. It had noodles in it, but they looked hard, and had a greenish tint to them. The broth was a very dark grey, almost opaque look to it. He wasn't even sure what the bits of brown matter were that was in it.

Naruto looked up confused at the owner, who seemed eager for him to try it. "Hey, old man, I'm not sure what this is but I don't think its dead yet."

"You idiot, that's a new type of ramen I'm testing for commercial wholesale across Konoha," said the owner.

"Well it looks like crap," said Naruto, "Do you really expect me to eat this?"

"Oh course," said the owner, "You see, this isn't just any Ramen; it's a special type of ramen. If you eat the whole thing you'll...uh...gain the strength of a hundred Hokages!"

"Really," said Naruto excitedly, "Well alright then."

'Boy this kid is dense,' thought the owner. 'Oh well, at least I have a new guinea pig for these new test ramens.

Naruto placed some of the noodles between his chopsticks and proceeded to hastily slurp them up. However, they never made it down his throat; his mouth simply refused to accept that such a bad taste was even possible. 'My body must think its poison,' thought Naruto, 'But whatever the case, it is ramen, and to leave any ramen unfinished would be sacrilege. I have a reputation to keep after all.'

He finally swallowed what was left of the noodles, as they slowly made his way down his stomach, leaving a harsh, burning sensation across his throat and mouth as it made its slow descent into his stomach. It was quite possibly the most heinous torture he ever had to endure, including anything Gai-Sensei had thought up.

"Like it don't ya," said the owner, "I knew you would. You see, it's actually a ramen substitute that tastes exactly like the real thing. I call it Spamen. You see, instead of using any grain for the noodles, I found this amazing plant growing under a rock behind the cart that can be ground up and used instead...

Naruto's stomach began to churn.

"...and you won't believe the amount of money I can save using the runoff water from the drainage ditch instead of just the normal tap.

The ramen substitute was beginning to rebel against his insides now. His body wanted so desperately to reject it, but Naruto simply had to keep it down. For all that was good in the ramen world he had to maintain his composure and...

"...but you won't believe how cheap the meat was. You see, I got this tip from the pet store owner down the street..."

That was enough. He didn't care if the concoction granted him the strength of a hundred hokages, he couldn't use that strength if he died of food poisoning. Naruto quickly rushed away from the stand into a nearby alley and proceeded to return the Spamen from whence it came.

"Hmm," the owner pulled out a notepad and began to take down observations, "still has some issues with vomiting."

Naruto came back from the alley slowly, clutching his stomach as the pain seemed to have intensified as soon as the Spamen had left his stomach. "What are you trying to do old man, kill me!?" he asked angrily. The taste of the Spamen still lingered in his mouth, and he feared that it would linger on for a week or so.

"Well, no," replied the owner, "just trying the stuff out on some of the more base life before I find it fit for human consumption."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?" Naruto was near his breaking point with this old fart. He was shaking angrily now, and his whole body felt like it was on fire and that he might explode any minute.

"Oh come on, just try one more bite, and I'll take 25 off of your tab," the owner replied as if he didn't even notice that Naruto was the slightest bit peeved.

Naruto calmed down a bit and contemplated this. His tab for the ramen stand was already exceedingly high, and he'd probably still be paying it off well into his fifties.

Naruto gave a low growl out of aggravation, but finally succumbed. "Fine."

Naruto twirled his chopsticks back into the bowl of Spamen. He could have sworn he'd seen it move a couple of times. At this close, the stench was overwhelming; now he knew how Kiba must have felt during the preliminary matches.

He clasped a few of the noodles and slowly drug them out of the depths of the viscous stew. He actually had to use quite a bit of effort to do so. He braced himself for the taste abomination that would soon follow and quickly scooped it into his mouth. Surely this was well worth it. He only had to quickly swallow and keep it down...

"Hey, long time no see brat," came a gruff voice behind him followed by a hard slap to the back.

It happened just as Naruto was in mid-swallow, and the Spamen became lodged in his throat. The intense burning sensation reappeared, but rather than cover the length of his throat, it remained in one spot. Naruto furiously began struggling to remove it from his throat. Finally, he expelled the vile substance from his body; unfortunately, it landed right on top of the stand owner.

"FINE, See if you ever get anything free from me again brat," and the store owner than hastily closed his stand.

"No, wait wait, what about my tab?" yelled Naruto frantically, but no answer came.

"Dammit, who the hell do you think you are?" Got off his stool and turned around to find his answer.

A rather tall man stood before him. His hair was very wild, grey, spiky and seemed absorb most of his head. A long spiky ponytail covered his back as well. He wore what appeared to be the garb of a master sensei. However, Naruto knew better than that.

"Damn you perverted hermit, you just cost me a lot of money. How's about for once you take responsibility for your actions and pay up!"

Jiraiya gave an indignant snort. He hated when the kid called him 'perverted hermit'. Although he was perverted and a hermit, it just wasn't prudent to go around calling him that.

"You know, I take time out of my already busy schedule to visit a brat like you and what do you do? Do you appreciate my company? Or my thoughtfulness? No, you just sit there and blame me for problems you created yourself," lectured Jiraiya, "Didn't anyone ever teach you that a true ninja respects his elders?"

"Whatever perverted hermit," said Naruto.

This time, it was Jiraiya's turn to explode. "Frog Hermit, Frog Hermit, FROG HERMIT!!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, eliciting many stares from passers-by, "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me PERVERTED HERMIT!!"

This last comment caused many people to stop and stare and Jiraiya. He could feel their piercing gaze in his back, and went into a fit of rather nervous laughter, followed by a deep sigh. 'This kid always gets me riled up,' he thought. "Well," he said as he regained his composure, "I guess I'll be heading off then."

"Wait a second perverted hermit, I've got some questions for you that I've been meaning to ask," said Naruto with a rather annoyed tone. "First off, where have you been for the last four months? When Kakashi broke up team 7, I figured you'd train me personally like you did before. Instead I got stuck with thickbrows' sensei."

Jiraiya looked confused for a moment and then replied, "You mean Gai? Well, I've heard he's an excellent teacher, probably one of the more reliable ones I think."

"Reliability nothing," replied Naruto, "I'm being taught by a man who's biggest ambition is to beat Kakashi-sensei in a game of Janken (paper-rock-scissors)."

"Well, sometimes we don't always get what we want. After all, you think I've got nothing better to do that to train some noisy brat like you for the rest of my days," said Jiraiya, talking as if his time were more precious than gold. "After all, I've got a lot of research to attend to. I'm almost done with my second novel."

"Yeah, I'm sure peaking into the women's bath takes a lot out of your busy schedule," said Naruto, eliciting a rather dirty look from Jiraiya. "And another thing, what's up with this meeting Tsunade-sama. You have heard about it right."

Jiraiya looked at Naruto, matter-of-factly, and said, "Of course I know, a hermit knows all that is going on around him. Speaking of which," he quickly pulled out a pocket watch and looked at the time, "I'd better go. See ya later brat."

"Not yet, I'm not through scolding you for all of your misdeeds. First of all..." began Naruto, as he had been preparing this speech for some time whenever he'd finally meet up with Jiraiya again.

"Uhh Naruto."

"...and then there's your constant peeking. I really don't understand your fascination with the woman's bath, and furthermore..."

"Naruto, what time does this meeting start exactly?"

"Around seven, why?"

Jiraiya pushed his pocket watch into Naruto's face. '6:55 the thought'...6:55!'. "Oh no, I'm going to be late for the meeting," and with that Naruto flew off in the opposite direction, desperate to make it to Tsunade's meeting on time.

Jiraiya put his watch away and smiled to himself as Naruto bounded off for the Hokage's office. 'Ha, that brat is going to be the death of me yet.'


	4. Part 13: The Meeting

Part 1.3: The Meeting

Tsunade's usually spacious office was now cramped with a mixture of genin, chuunin, and jounin as they sat and chatted idly amongst themselves. It was almost time to give them the announcement that she had been dreading ever since she had become aware of it. It seemed to haunt her constantly, as she feared the reaction that would be received tonight. She did not wish to stir trouble, but the information in front of her was too important to ignore tonight, and the entire village had the right to know. She sighed deeply as she contemplated her current situation. 'This is certainly going to cause some commotion, to say the least,' she thought. She didn't want to accept it herself, but reality was not so kind sometimes. She chuckled at the last comment. She had worn the official hokage attire tonight, which consisted of a white robe with red patters across it. She had decided to forego the hat, which she thought, 'Really doesn't do justice to my beauty.' 'Well, almost time to start, lets see who's here.'

There were a lot of new faces she didn't recognize. Some were academy students that no doubt had been abruptly promoted to genin so that they could carry out missions. She could tell, because a great many of them were very young, no more than 9 or 10 years old. She hated the fact that so many had to be promoted because of necessity rather than actual skill; she wanted students in this village time to grow. But then again, their situation was pretty dire; a great many of their chuunin and jounin had been killed in the attack by the Sound Village. She looked on into the crowd.

Asuma's team was here, pretty close to the front row, while Asuma himself stayed in the back, surveying the genin and casually smoking a cigarette. Ino and Sakura seemed to have grown their blond and pink hair (respectively) back to its longer state. They were bickering about something, no doubt some trivial matter; they just like to bicker she guessed. Chouji was sitting next to them eyeing them both oddly. Chouji was in a coma for two months after he returned from his mission as the pepper pill had taken quite a toll on his body, completely zapping it of any energy at all. The internal damage was intense, but Tsunade had managed to pull him through it. However, she expected Chouji to return to his usual chubby self, but he still retained that skinny look he had whenever he returned from the mission six months ago. She wondered why this was, until she saw Chouji slowly pull a bag of snacks from under the bench only for Ino to promptly swat them out of his hands. Now both Chouji and Sakura were yelling at Ino. She moved on.

Kurenai's team sat at a bench more towards the middle of the office, while she herself leaned against a far wall, her eyes surveying the entire office. Kiba was seated with Shino, and Hinata was seated between them. It seemed as though Kiba was attempting to elicit some type of reaction from Shino while Hinata looked on, but Shino simply stared straight-forward, a very stoic expression on his face. Even though a pair of dark sunglasses covered his eyes, she could still feel them boring into her.

Neji was seated in a far corner with Hiashi, head of the Hyuuga, whose presence she had requested personally. Of all people, the Hyuuga had a right to hear what she was about to say. Neji seemed rather bored of all this, and sat lazily with his eyes half-closed. Next to them, Lee and Gai were practicing some training exercise where they repeatedly hit each other's forearms with their own until one gave up. Tenten simply looked off, no doubt realizing how stupid they must look.

Kakashi was in the opposite corner, leaning against a wall. He nodded at Tsunade, signaling that it was time to begin this meeting. She cleared her throat audibly, and the room slowly began to quiet down.

"Good evening, I've brought you all here today for-"

Suddenly, the office doors burst open revealing a heavily panting Naruto. He looked up to notice nearly everyone in the room giving him a look of disdain. He laughed nervously and quickly composed himself, choosing a spot next to Gai in the back of the room.

"As I was saying," she said, "I have brought you all here today because as many of you may or may not know, the second Chuunin exams are coming up in about a month's time."

There was a slight murmur throughout the crowd, either people had their suspicions confirmed or had a slight case of shock. Most people continued listening intently.

"The Chuunin exams represent a time where a select group of genin, who have demonstrated an appropriate amount of skill, are given the opportunity to advance in rank. Becoming a Chuunin means added responsibility as Chuunin are expected to have not only skill in all forms of jutsu, but also outstanding leadership abilities. I have called you and your Jounin sensei specifically as I have decided that every genin here will participate in the examination."

This statement elicited a much larger response. Most of the genin were jubilatory, Rock Lee even went into a frantic dance until Gai had swatted his head in order to make him stop. However, some of the genin looked confused, even fearful. Tsunade had expected this, most of these children weren't ready for the examination, as they had most likely heard pretty harsh stories from some of the older genin and chuunin. Some of the genin had raised their hands in hopes of getting particular questions answered.

"Please, save anything you may have for the end," said Tsunade, and the hands slowly drooped down in disappointment. "I know some of you may have your misgivings about going into the exam so early, and others may be wondering why so many are going in our current state." This last sentence elicited some silent agreement from the crowd. This was evidently a very prominent issue to them, but she had expected such a reaction. "However," she continued, "it is imperative that many of us participate for the sake of protecting this village."

She had never seen a group of people look so confused in her life over the last comment. She was about to continue until she heard an all too familiar voice pop up in the back of the room. "So we're going to protect the village, by keeping most of the ninjas busy with the Chuunin exam? Tsunade, I think your age is getting to you."

Tsunade was trying very hard to maintain her composure after that last comment from Naruto. 'That brat, I'll get him later.'

"If the exam was being held in our village, what you said might be true," continued Tsunade, who was really attempting to keep her voice level, "However, the Chuunin exam is something that is passed from country to country in an attempt to improve diplomatic relations between them. The last exam as we all know was held here. The next exam, as was approved years back, would be held in the Country of Thunder in Hidden Cloud Village.

Genuine shock went throughout the genins this time. Many of the Jounin had known about the event being held in Hidden Cloud, but that information was generally not allowed to pass to the ears of genins.

"For those of you who do not know, the Leaf and Cloud have had a very 'tenuous' relationship. Only fifteen years ago the Leaf was involved in a violent struggle with the Hidden Cloud; a war that lasted nearly fifty years. Many elder nin here including me still remember the war between the two strongest nations. We lost many friends, family, and allies."

Many of the Jounin were nodding their heads in agreement. Kakashi was looking especially downtrodden, staring at the floor rather than at Tsunade herself.

"As of right now, we have a very thin treaty with the Thunder nation. It's more along the lines of a cease-fire rather than an actual peace treaty. It is because of this, we must have a very strong showing in the Chuunin exam. By having many of our nin participate, we are telling the Thunder nation that despite the attacks on us, we are still strong. Any sign of weakness may be looked at as an opportunity for the Thunder to break the treaty and attack. Therefore, it is imperative that while we are guests in the Nation of Thunder, we must not only share inside information with anyone from the Thunder Nation, we must make no provocation to anyone associated with the Thunder Nation or the Hidden Cloud. Not only would such an event be catastrophic to our relations, the Leaf would not be able to withstand an assault by the Hidden Cloud at our current state. It would be a slaughter."

Tsunade gave time for the message to sink in. The genin were finally beginning to understand just how important this examination was to the Leaf. Even Naruto wore an expression of solemn concern. He hadn't realized the ramifications of going on this examination.

Finally, Tsunade cleared her throat and continued. "Therefore, it is imperative that all Leaf nins, genin or otherwise steer clear of any direct confrontation with the Thunder-nins barring the examination itself and the rules therein. Thank You.

Tsunade paused. Even though this speech was important, it was not the reason she had brought them all before her today. She took a very deep breath, inhaling, and exhaling slowly. 'I have to tell them, its imperative to tell them.' Some of the genin had gotten up, thinking Tsunade was done.

"Wait," she said suddenly. Her tone darkened, "Although the former of my speech is important, it is not the reason I have brought you all here today."

The genin sat back down again. The sternness of her tone had the attention of everyone in the room, as if nothing was more important than what Tsunade-sama had to say.

"As you now all know," she continued, slower than before, "the Thunder will be holding this year's examination, but that is not all. The Thunder have taken the necessary steps to inform all the clans about the different countries that would be participating, so that we may be ready for their arrival. All the usual ones will be there, the sand, grass, stone, mist, but ..." It was now or never, she had to tell them, "...the Hidden Nation of Sound will also be participating."

She had expected and uproar and that last statement had delivered tenfold. Everyone was on their feet now, demanding answers. "What's the Raikage thinking!?"; "Is this an open act of war!?; "You can't be serious!"

"Order please!" she shouted, attempting to calm the situation. The crowd slowly came to a silence, though angry muttering could still be heard. "I know this comes as a shock to all of us just having come off of a violent struggle with them. However, the Raikage has declared the Hidden Sound Village a legitimate ninja nation and has decreed for them to take the examination as well.

"How do we know that the Raikage isn't just fooling with us," interrupted a young genin in the back of the room.

"I'll field this one Tsunade," and Kakashi came to the front of the room, walking very casually, although there was a very serious tone in his voice. "We know because for the past three months I personally have undertaken the diplomatic relations with the Hidden Cloud. The Raikage himself told me that the Sound would be participating. He said it would be a way to 'end the futile struggle that is war amongst the nations.' And believe me, if the Raikage says he's going to do something of this undertaking, it is always done. Not only that, but the Raikage has granted complete and total amnesty for the Sound from the other nations."

Once again, nin within the room exploded with outrage, except for a ninja in the back who added the comment, "What's amnesty?"

"Basically," continued Kakashi, as the crowd quieted again to hear him speak, "Barring the examination, any nin associated with the Hidden Sound is under the protection of the Raikage himself. Any acts of aggression against them, counts as an act of aggression towards the Hidden Cloud. So, even if we see Orochimaru himself, we can't touch him. They've even given Orochimaru the title of Otokage."

"I know you're all restless from this news," continued Tsunade from where Kakashi left off, "but we need to be very prudent in this mission, hence why so many Jounin are taking time out from their missions to go on this affair. It is the most important event happening to the Leaf at this point in time. All I'm asking is that we get through this without any major mishaps."

"Also, this last comment is directed especially to anyone who undertook the mission four months ago to recover Sasuke. It is also proven fact that he will participate in this examination as well."

In no one else did this elicit more of a reaction than in Naruto, but rather than lashing out, he seemed to be filled with silent rage, as if no words would express the anger he felt at that moment. He clenched his fists into tight balls and looked down at his feet, his teeth baring themselves into a wicked scowl.

"We know he's participating," added Kakashi, answering the question before it was asked, "because that was part of the deal for amnesty with the Thunder. Orochimaru has promised the Raikage that he will see the last of the Uchiha clan in action."

"No one, especially not you Naruto," continued Tsunade, in more of a forceful tone that Naruto thought possible, "are to engage in any physical altercation with Sasuke barring the examination as said before. I know that his will be very difficult for all of you, but we are the Hidden Leaf, we will strive and we will succeed no matter how many cards are played against us. Thank you, you are dismissed."

And with that, the genin slowly began to shuffle out.


	5. Part 14: Wounds Too Deep to Heal

Hey all, this is the first fanfic I've written. Thanks for all the positive support that you've given. I am finally allowing anonymous posts as I didn't even know I was excluding them, I could care less if you're known or not. Hope you all enjoy this one, its a bit more angsty than the previous ones, but I really like it.

Part 1.4: Wounds too Deep to Heal

It was very dark now, twilight had descended upon the Leaf village as huge, ominous storm clouds hung overhead, casting huge patches of shade over the village. No moonlight was able to pierce through, with only the candles and lights in the nearby homes and stores to provide any illumination at all. 'How ironic,' thought Kakashi, 'a storm has descended upon our village. I wonder, is this a sign of things to come? I certainly hope not.' Tsunade's office had emptied, but he had decided to stay behind in order to back Tsunade. She was now talking to Hyuuga Hiashi concerning the upcoming examinations.

"You still wish for me to accompany them on their exams?" said Hiashi. The normally stoic man was showing signs of anger in his voice, even though he was trying very hard to hide it.

Tsunade crossed her hands, her elbows on the table for support and placed her chin on her fingers. 'This must be the last thing she wants to discuss right now,' thought Kakashi.

"Yes, as much tension as has occurred between the Leaf and Cloud, I think a strong showing from the Hyuuga clan could smooth things over between us," she said. "I just think that if you go, it will be showing you hold no ill will towards them.

Hiashi crossed his arms and stared at her in disbelief. "No ill will," he said, his voice cracking slightly, "thanks to them, my brother is dead. Not to mention that they almost kidnapped my daughter, and even as useless as she is, she still possesses a main house bloodline that could be deciphered by the Cloud. They are nothing more than a gang of murderers and thieves; you should be on your knees thanking me for even letting Neji go. Despite that he is a branch member, he's the real progeny of our clan, and if anything happens to him, I'll hold you personally responsible."

Tsunade laid her hands hands flat against the table and stood straight up. She was visibly annoyed by the last comment, but Hiashi stood his ground against her. She talked very slowly, trying to keep her voice level ('she seems to be doing that a lot today,' thought Kakashi.) "I understand your concerns Hiashi, but despite what you think, this village does not revolve around you and your clan."

This time it was Hiashi's turn to be annoyed. He openly scowled at the last comment. Tsunade allowed herself a slight grin at having irritated Hiashi. However, Hiashi continued on his tirade. "Well that's all well and good 'Hokage-sama', but you may have overlooked the slight detail that I'm supposed to be dead to the Hidden Cloud."

"No, I did not actually," said Tsunade in a determined calm, "you will not be going as Hyuuga Hiashi but Hyuuga Hizashi. I have already sent this through the appropriate channels in your clan and they agree with me on this. Besides, it's not like the Hyuuga would risk sending a main house member anyway, so your disguise should fool them."

Hiashi looked like he would very much like to hit Tsunade for that last comment. "So, you went behind my back to make sure that I went on the damn trip did you?"

"That's one way of putting it," said Tsunade, in a tone full of self-assurance. 'She looks like she's just won a major battle,' thought Kakashi, 'She really is quite a capable Hokage.'

Hiashi was now fuming. Kakashi could detect faint hints of the Byakugan showing in his eyes. He finally let out a long breath and replied, "Fine, it looks like I don't have a choice anyway."

"Excellent, we're leaving tomorrow so be sure to get a good night sleep," she replied in an overly sweet voice.

Hiashi stormed out of the office his long hair whipping behind him. He was visibly upset, more so than Kakashi had ever seen him. He didn't realize how deep the Hyuuga's hatred for the Hidden Cloud ran within them. As Hiashi thundered through the doors leading out of the Hokage's office, he stopped and looked to his right. Kakashi had stood outside of the Hokage's office listening to the entire conversation. He looked over lazily at Hiashi, smiled under his mask and gave him a slight wave. Hiashi seemed like he was ready to explode, but then slowly turned his head in the opposite direction as something else seemed to catch his eye. Kakashi leaned forward to get a glimpse of what he was looking at.

Over on the left side of the doors stood Hyuuga Hinata. She looked like she was on the verge of tears, yet she refused to look directly at her father. She instead stared at the ground in front of her, seemingly determined not to cry. Hiashi simply shook his head and walked off. Kakashi could have sworn he heard him mutter "useless" under his breath as he stormed off away towards the Hyuuga grounds.

Kakashi looked up at the sky again. The darkness in the sky, while having an ominous feeling, also held a kind of beauty he thought. 'It was in weather like this, that he...he..." Kakashi stared at the ground, trying desperately to hold back the emotions he had tried for so many years to hold inside himself. Remembering it was too painful, all the happy memories with the man he regarded as his best friend, even his brother. He slammed the back of his head against the wall he leaned against. 'No, he thought, now is not the time to reminisce. Regret will not bring him back.' He touched the left side of his face, under which the Sharingan laid. He sighed deeply, but then pushed it from his mind. He slowly turned around and was about to walk back into Tsunade's office, but it seemed Hinata had beat him to the punch. She was standing before Tsunade looking very nervous. She was fidgeting quite a lot and she clamped her fingers against themselves.

"What is it Hinata," said Tsunade in a very sweet and motherly tone, "do you have a question about the upcoming exams?"

"N-no Hokage-sama," Hinata was stammering pretty badly. 'Well,' Kakashi thought, 'she did just receive quite the verbal beating from her father.' "Its just that, I was...wondering whether I'm, well, good enough for such an important mission."

Tsunade seemed quite taken aback with this comment. Hinata refused to meet her eyes, but continued with her speech, her eyes drifting to the side. "It's just that, I'm not the best when it comes to missions, and...I mess up a lot...and I just think that maybe there's another genin that could do a better job than me."

Tsunade bent her knees so that she was now on eye level with Hinata. She wore an expression of grave concern on her face. She took a hand and placed it against Hinata's cheek, gently moving her so that she was now eye to eye with Tsunade. "Listen to me Hinata," her voice very firm, "don't listen to what your father or anyone else says about you being weak. You're as strong as you believe you are, and personally, I believe you will be able to pull off this mission with flying colors. In fact, I'd wager that you will become a Chuunin by the end of this."

"But, doesn't Hokage-sama always lose with her wagers?" replied Hinata.

Tsunade looked a little annoyed with the last comment but continued on. "Despite that, you have to believe in yourself. I refuse to relieve you of this mission. Your other teammates will be counting on you to pull through with this mission, and you wouldn't want to let anyone down would you?"

Hinata didn't answer at first, but eventually shook her head in a definite 'no'. "Well, then its settled. Whatever the outcome, always know that you are strong Hinata, and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise."

Hinata bowed deeply as Tsunade once again came to her full height. Tsunade smiled pleasantly at her as she left. As Hinata turned to leave, she ran straight into Kakashi. She bowed in embarrassment and hurried out. Kakashi chuckled at this, "Pretty motherly aren't you?" he said.

"Comes with the job I guess," she said. Her tone hardened again, "So what should we be expecting on the trip there."

Kakashi leaned against a nearby table and replied lazily, "It really should be kind of uneventful. I don't think that the Sound would make a move on us and risk causing an incident that would make them lose their amnesty with the Hidden Cloud. My question is do you really think it's a good idea for yourself to leave now?"

Tsunade looked at him thoughtfully and replied, "Relations with the Thunder Country take top priority. If we can come out of this exam with a full fledged peace and partnership between us, we could use the Thunder's help to get our village back on its feet."

Kakashi eyed her in surprise, "You're going to attempt full-fledged peace with the Hidden Cloud? That's something that a Hokage has never done in the history of this village. We've always had our differences with the Thunder. It seems that neither will allow the other to be the strongest of the Nin-nations."

"Well, things are different now," replied Tsunade, "it really is time for a complete peace between all of the nations. And the Leaf will be able to take care of itself for now. My apprentice Shizune will be handling the details while I'm gone. Its kind of a vacation," she added jokingly, "no paperwork for a good month."

Kakashi chuckled mirthlessly at this. "I shouldn't have to remind you Hokage-sama, but don't let Orochimaru's presence distract your judgment from the mission at hand. If you really do intend for complete peace, the Sound cannot distract you from that matter."

"I know," replied Tsunade, "now please leave Kakashi, I have to prepare for tomorrow. Kakashi bowed slightly and then left Tsunade to contemplate the events that were laid before her.

"Team Gai, over here," yelled out Gai shortly after the meeting. The genin had just begun to file out. Lee rushed quickly over to his sensei and TenTen quickly followed suit. Naruto was much slower to go towards his sensei. His mind was plagued with thoughts of Sasuke. He wanted to scream, yell, to lash out at something or someone. Anyone, anything, something just to sate the anger that seethed within him. He finally made it over to Gai. He looked at his teammates, both of them had solemn looks on their faces as well. In fact, he didn't see a single genin that looked even remotely happy about the current situation.

"Tomorrow," Gai said, "we begin our journey to the Nation of Thunder. Now I know most of you feel a little downtrodden due to the recent events, but we must persevere. The Chuunin exams are a time where the villages' youth passionately strive to show everyone their most amazing abilities and their strength, honor, skill, and discipline. Why, I can still remember my first, and last, Chuunin examination. Surely amongst all of the candidates there, the judges could just not keep their eyes off the beautiful azure beast before them known simply as Gai." He ended this speech with his usual whooping crane pose complete with ocean background.

Naruto only looked up half-heartedly, his mind was elsewhere. TenTen seemed to only care feebly about Gai's annoying behavior. Even Lee, who usually went into a frenzied excitement every time Gai did something like this, could only smile weakly at his sensei.

Gai looked at his students and quickly composed himself, laughing nervously, "Well, enough with that," he said, "I guess everyone's had a lot to absorb today. So go home and sleep for today, but tomorrow, I have prepared a most rigorous training regiment for us while we are on the road. It will surely be our key to a victorious Chuunin exam."

At the words 'rigorous training regiment' Lee's eyes perked up and he quickly went back into his Gai-worshipping mode. "Oh WOW! Isn't Gai-Sensei incredible? He has already prepared a most assured winning strategy for us. No doubt with Gai-Sensei's help, all of us will come out victorious." He then proceeded to give his usual nice guy pose to the rest of the group.

"Thank you Lee," replied Gai, "but for now, I want you all to return home and get a good night's rest, for tomorrow, we begin our path to success.

And with that, the team separated, Lee staying behind to talk about how great Gai was and see if he could get an early start on the training regiment. TenTen walked in the opposite direction, not really wanting to be seen with either Gai or Lee. Naruto walked away form his house, he didn't feel like sleeping yet, his mind was far too full from today's events.

He walked down the streets of Konoha, with only the light from nearby windows to illuminate his way. He caught glimpses of genin telling their parents of today's news, or different families in general spending time together. Naruto looked down at the ground and continued to walk forward. He didn't want to see such sights; they only reminded him of what he thought he once had and how quickly it had been taken from him.

'Sasuke,' he thought. The last memories he had of him was that of Sasuke transformed into a hideous monster, hellbent on killing him to achieve revenge, no matter what the cost. Naruto never really figured out why his death was necessary to achieve revenge, but reasoning with Sasuke wasn't an option at that point in time. All he knew is that the person he had regarded as a rival, a friend, and a brother had betrayed him and taken away the happy memories of their rivalry and friendship. They were replaced with deep feelings of hatred and treachery, but the memories of their bond still lingered within him. The conflicting emotions left a pain greater than any he had felt before within him.

He seemed to walk on for hours as the clouds overhead became more ominous than before. Suddenly, he could feel cool water begin to hit all around his body. The weather only amplified his mood as he made his way into a dark alley. The rain seemed to pour harder, drenching him, leaving him with a very heavy feeling. Suddenly, he couldn't take anymore, his emotions reached their boiling point, and the pain was too much to bear...

"AAAHHHHH," Naruto screamed as loud as his throat would allow and punched a nearby wall with as much force as he could muster. He had used the hand he had injured earlier in the day, but none of that mattered. The pain didn't matter, the weather didn't matter, nothing mattered to him anymore. He broke down and sobbed uncontrollably, hitting the wall with his balled up fists as the rain seemed to only augment the setting. 'Why,' he thought, 'I almost felt complete, like I really had a family and people who cared about me, and then I was betrayed. Is this my fate? To always be alone. It's not fair, not fair, NOT FAIR!!'

He was crying more than he ever had now. He leaned the crown of his head against the wall he had been beating as the water trickled down through his hair. His hands were bleeding now, and the water from above seemed to wash over them and carry the blood down further on his arms, into his sleeves. 'I just want to end this pain, is that so much to ask for?'

He could have sworn he had heard someone call his name. He turned his head slightly to see a figure in the rain. The figure came closer and revealed itself to be Lee. His normally poofy bowl cut now stuck closely to his head, and his green jumpsuit looked much like it had in the beginning of the day; it looked black it was so soaked. "Naruto," he called again.

"Go away," said Naruto, his voice full of malice. What was Lee doing here? Didn't he have some ridiculous exercise to do?

However, Lee did not leave. Naruto could hear his footsteps get closer as he splashed through the rain, the sound echoing down the alley. Naruto felt Lee's hand grasp his shoulder gently. "I know how you must feel Naruto."

Naruto turned around quickly, knocking Lee's hand off of him. He charged at Lee, grabbing him by the collar of his jumpsuit and slammed him full force against the opposite wall. The water bounced off of the wall from the impact and hit Naruto in the face.

"DO YOU THICKBROWS!?" he screamed, "Do you think you really understand what I'm feeling. This pain, this misery, do you think you've ever felt something like this before? ANSWER ME!" Naruto didn't know why he was lashing out at Lee, more than likely because he was the closest living thing in the vicinity. However, Lee did not flinch, or struggle in his grasp. He simply stared at Naruto with his thickbrowed eyes. It seemed like an eternity before one of them spoke.

Finally Lee said, "I don't know Naruto. Maybe I don't. I've never had as many precious people as you, but then again, I've never lost one before either."

'What is he talking about,' thought Naruto. Admittedly he didn't know that much about Lee, but he must have parents, siblings, friends who cared about him.

"You see Naruto," continued Lee, Naruto still grasping him by the collar of his jumpsuit, his blood starting to stain the collar and run down it, "I do understand the pain of being alone. I was born into this world without parents, siblings, or anyone who cared about me who didn't have to. As I grew older I was just seen as dead weight, a useless person that the world had no real use for and a worthless man who would have made existence easier for everyone else if I simply did not."

Naruto's expression softened and he loosened his grip slightly. "But then," continued Lee, "I met my first precious person. Gai-Sensei is the only person in my life that can truly be considered more precious than anyone. Gai-Sensei believed in me and saw existence in my life where I did not. He gave me purpose and someone precious that I could protect. He also gave me the knowledge that a person is strongest when they must protect those who are precious to him. He taught me something very important. You see Naruto, we aren't gods or pillars of stone, we're humans, and as humans we not only feel physical pain, but also the pain of loss.

"But, don't you see Naruto," continued Lee. Naruto now listened intently; he was still very angry, but thickbrows seemed to be making some sense. "The pain you feel right now is proof that you are strong. True, you are no doubt feeling hurt, lost, and confused, but the fact that you feel these things only proves that a bond was formed between you and Sasuke; an unbreakable one that cannot be destroyed by betrayal, strife, or malice. It runs far too deep to be ruined so easily. The fact that you regard Sasuke as a brother is evident, and the pain you feel is the same I would feel if Gai-Sensei were to leave or give up on me, as he is the most precious person in my life. So in a way, I do understand your pain Naruto, and I revere that kind of pain as 'a beautiful sadness' because it is proof that you are strong."

Naruto stared at Lee in disbelief, if he ever expected to hear something insightful like what he had just heard, it would not have come from thickbrows. Naruto slowly let go of Lee's jumpsuit and took a few steps back. The imprints of his bloody hands were now entrenched on it but that didn't seem to bother Lee. "I just, don't know what to do now," said Naruto.

"You mustn't give up Naruto. The amazing bond formed between you two will come back full force as long as you don't give up on Sasuke. I'm sure he'll come back into the fold someday." And with this, Lee gave Naruto the usual nice-guy pose. "I promise."

Naruto smiled feebly and then returned the gesture. He looked at Lee's jumpsuit. "Sorry about attacking you thickbrows."

"Think nothing of it Naruto," replied Lee, "I've got about a hundred of these things at home." Lee began to leave down the way he came in. "Oh, and Naruto," Naruto looked up at Lee again, "I don't know if I'll ever have someone as precious to me as Gai-Sensei, but I do have many precious friends. And I will defend them with my life as well, because that is what makes me strong."

Naruto turned to leave as well, feeling much better than he had. He stopped suddenly when he heard an "Oh Yeah, and Naruto," behind him. He quickly turned around and heard, "How's about you start calling me Lee instead of thickbrows from now on?"

"Yeah, whatever thickbrows," replied Naruto.


	6. Part 15: The Day You Went Away

Short Chapter today. I need to remind myself to put my thoughts in front of these things. That's a habit I need to get into. Once again, thanks for all the positive support. Oh, and you'll notice that the mood may change a bit from chapter to chapter, but thats just the way I write. Hope that doesn't bother anybody.

Part 1.5: The Day You Went Away

Sakura lay lazily on her bed simply staring at the ceiling. It had been a few hours since the meeting with Tsunade, but the message she said had just begun to sink in. She had split up with Ino and Choiji right after the meeting, she did not want them to see her as an emotional wreck.

'Sasuke,' she thought. The last time she had seen him still rang true in her memory. She thought about him constantly before and even more now that he was gone. 'What had he meant the last time we spoke. _"You are annoying"_. What had he meant by that? He didn't seem serious, but then again...'

Sakura turned over on her side. She knew she would be traveling to the Country of Thunder tomorrow along with the other genin. However, the importance of the mission itself just seemed to pale in comparison to actually seeing Sasuke again. She suddenly sat up, and began to rummage through one of her dresser drawers. She searched frantically and finally pulled out a Leaf forehead protector. It had a long slash straight through the middle. She simply stared at it for a minute. It was raining outside, pouring pretty heavily. The storm clouds left the room almost in complete darkness, with only a few faint traces of light that gently reflected of the metal of the forehead protector. 'It's just like it was then..."

_It was raining heavily, with the storm clouds blocking out any trace of light. She waited in her usual spot, as she had the day before that; simply waiting and hoping that they would arrive soon. She stared off into the distance, hoping to see some glimpse, a sign that they had returned with Sasuke. _

_Suddenly, a shape appeared in the distance. The heavy rain made it pretty indistinguishable, but it was approaching quickly. She could now hear heavy panting amidst the downpour. Her spirits soared, 'Is it Sasuke,' she hoped. _

_However, the shape soon came into view. It was not Sasuke, but Rock Lee, holding what looked to be what was left of Neji over his shoulder. Neji seemed to have suffered some very severe injuries, as he was literally littered with holes throughout his body, but he seemed to be breathing. Some had been bandaged up poorly in an attempt to stop the bleeding. His forehead protector was gone revealing the odd looking seal on his forehead. Even Lee looked like he had been through hell, as many large cuts appeared across his body. Neji was slung over his shoulder, and Lee was running at almost top speed, trying to keep himself from losing balance in the rain. Suddenly he stopped, and looked briefly at Sakura. She looked up into his large, dark eyes, but he quickly turned away and ran off again, probably towards the infirmary. _

_She watched them disappear in the rain, but then heard a much slower splash through the downpour. She looked up again to see Shikamaru and what seemed to be Temari of the Hidden Sand carrying what looked slightly like a skinny Chouji over their shoulders. Chouji didn't look like he was conscious, as he hung limply at their sides, his head bobbing slightly with each step. She held her hands to her face as she assumed the worst. However, Shikamaru seemed more optimistic as he was shouting encouragement at his lifeless friend. "C'mon Chouji, just a little farther. Just hang on; you can make it." She had never seen Shikamaru appear so distressed, but he had a very frightened look on his face, contrasting his usually lazy demeanor. He did not even seem to notice her, he just continued on, continually cheering his friend on as if Chouji could hear him._

_They left as well. The rain had picked up it seemed, drenching her completely, but she didn't care, today was the day she would see Sasuke again. She was sure of it. Another figure was beginning to come out of the darkness. It was pretty oddly shaped, but she kept her hopes up that it was Sasuke. However, what she saw really took her aback._

_Gaara of the Hidden Sand led in front of what looked like a makeshift stretcher made of sand. The water had soaked it to a very dark brown, but it kept its solidity. On the stretcher lay Kiba and Akamaru, looking very much near death. Kiba was conscious, but his breathing was labored and a small trickle of blood was slowly oozing out of his mouth. There was a large wound that had been poorly bandaged across his abdomen. _

_She looked at Gaara in shock, but Gaara went forward at a steady pace, as if he didn't even notice her. He simply made a slight glance over towards her before continuing on. Kankuro was walking next to the stretcher with what looked like two puppets strapped to his back. She recognized one of them, but the other was of an odd shape. He stopped suddenly and stared at her. His usually painted face was beginning to run in the rain, as if his face itself was melting. He simply shook his head, and walked on._

_Sakura was panicking now. 'Where's Sasuke at, he should have returned by now, the rest of the team is here, along with others. Where is he?"_

_She looked on in the distance. It seemed like hours before another figure appeared before her. She could tell it was Kakashi-Sensei in the distance due to his spiky hair, which seemed to retain its figure even in the rain. He was cradling an unconscious person in front of him, but he was staring straight ahead, looking very solemn. Sakura hoped that the person he held was Sasuke; no, she knew it was him, it had to be. However, as they drew closer, it was becoming apparent that the person he was holding was Naruto. He looked like he had been in a large fight was well, his eyes were barely open, and his breathing was very slow. Small patches of blood were splotted across his normally bright orange clothing, and there was a gaping hole over the left part of his chest. _

_Kakashi stopped slowly and looked down at Sakura. Sakura returned his gaze, but then looked behind him into the distance, as if hoping that Sasuke would turn up. "Kakashi-Sensei, where's Sasuke; is he behind you guys?"_

_Kakashi quietly stared at her, not giving her an answer or even speaking. He then suddenly turned his head towards the sky and said very quietly, "Always in this kind of weather." _

"_Sakura-chan," said a very weak voice that seemed to come from Kakashi. Naruto was looking straight at her, his eyes held wealkly open. He seemed to be clutching something in his hand. "I'm...I'm...Sorry." He then allowed his hand to droop to the side, spilling what looked like a forehead protector to the ground. Sakura bent down to retrieve it. It had a large slash through the middle of it._

_Her eyes were now wide with shock now. "No...no...I don't believe it. Please Kakashi-sensei, where is Sasuke." But Kakshi refused to answer her; he simply walked on in the same direction as the others. _

_No, this couldn't be true. She loved Sasuke, with all of her heart. Surely he had come back, surely..._

_But she already knew the answer, and with that, she dropped to her knees and began to cry._

She was crying again now, into her pillow. Nothing had changed for her, she still loved him with all her heart, but what lingered there now was one question, "Does he love me?"

She turned into her pillow, still sobbing madly, and slowly closed her eyes.


	7. Part 16: Beyond the Leaf

Hello again. Once again thanks to everyone for their positive support, and hell, negative support if you've got it. I've been asked about pairings, but I'm still tinkering with some things for this story; so I'll get back to you on that. Well, enough babbling.

Part 1.6: Beyond the Leaf

He closed his eyes and went freefalling headfirst from the tops of the trees. The wind slowly blanketed around him; he allowed it to do so, through his hair, his fingertips, as if he were feeling the air itself. He could hear the sky whistling around him, signaling an increase of speed in his descent. Yet, he refused to open his eyes until the last moment. He was accelerating faster now. Every second, closer and closer, he could feel the forest floor rising up to meet him. However, it was not time yet. He allowed his eyes to remain closed, past the point where his brain began sending signals of panic down his spine, electrifying his body. He ignored them and remained calm. Finally, he felt the floor was close enough. He opened his eyes; they were red, with a large circle around the pupil, with three yang dots in them. He quickly reached to his belt and pulled out eight kunai, one for each finger. He contorted his back to achieve the maximum power and let loose with the kunai, sending them outward. He was now falling feet-first towards the ground. He reached to his belt again and pulled out two shuriken. He didn't have much time left, the ground was so close now. He let the shuriken fly with precise aim, ricocheting them off the kunai, causing a chain reaction where the kunai ricocheted off each other. Finally, he hit the ground, causing the dust on the floor to rise from the impact. He had landed on both of his feet, using one hand for balance. He closed his eyes until the dust settled and then opened them again. They were black now, his ability was deactivated with his exercise complete.

Uchiha Sasuke surveyed his handiwork. He had seen Itachi do this exact same exercise before, and as much as he hated to admit it, it was quite practical. Targets had been set up around the forest much akin to a bull's-eye. The kunai, having reached their final destinations hit the targets dead center. Sasuke grinned at this, 'I would be his equal if our ages were the same,' he thought. He smiled inwardly. He then checked the blind spot target behind a large mound of earth. His brother had hit this target consistently, despite the fact that he could not see it. Sasuke looked at the target, and a rage of aggravation overwhelmed him. 'It's off by two whole inches,' he thought. He punched the mound in frustration, leaving a deep mark on it. 'I'm still not his equal, not even when he was thirteen years old.' Sasuke had done this exercise at least twenty times a day, but each time he had been inconsistent with the blind spot. Sometimes it hit the center, other times it would be off two or three inches. Sometimes it would miss completely. 'How did he do this? After all this time, all this sacrifice, am I still no better than I was?' No, he knew that wasn't true; he had come to Orochimaru with a promise that he would eventually be able to take his revenge. And knowing full well what Orochimaru had planned for him, he went to the Sound with the hope of finally becoming greater than his brother.

For the first two months he was there, Sasuke didn't even see Orochimaru. Kabuto said he was going through some extensive 'metamorphoses'. However, Kabuto seemed more than capable at the task. 'He's at least as good as Kakashi,' thought Sasuke. However, all of the techniques Kabuto had taught him had to do with his cursed seal and ways in which to manage it...

"_The curse seal represents an excellent boost of power, but at the same time it deteriorates the body at a rapid rate. Any wound you sustain in this form could very well kill you if you can't handle it right," Kabuto lectured. "Therefore, what I'm going to teach you today is a healing exercise that you can use it combat." He pulled a kunai from his belt and slashed his hand with it, allowing the blood to flow freely. Sasuke watched as Kabuto allowed the blood to trickle to the ground, leaving red droplets marked on the floor. He then raised his palm up so that Sasuke could see the wound. Suddenly, smoke started appearing from the gash, and the wound seemed to cauterize itself, leaving a slight mark on his hand and a sickly, burning smell in the air. "The skill I'm about to teach you can be used to close up any wounds on the outside of your body. It does not heal internal damage, but because you are so new to the cursed seal, any wounds you receive could be fatal. It is very much a double-edged technique, but we're going to take the edge off of it. Now, give me your hand."_

_Sasuke reluctantly gave Kabuto his hand, palm facing up. Kabuto slashed Sasuke's hand across, leaving a fine trail of blood on it. "To perform this technique, gather charka to the wound itself, then force it out of your hand directly above the wound. The resulting friction will cause enough heat to close it." Sasuke concentrated and forced himself to channel the charka to the wound. It was excruciatingly painful, as the burning of the cut just seemed to amplify the pain itself. Sasuke continued to try; every time the blood would clot, Kabuto would slash his hand open again, allowing it to flow freely. Finally, after losing quite a bit of blood, Sasuke successfully closed the wound on his own. "Very good," said Kabuto. He walked over to Sasuke, who was now breathing heavily. The technique felt like an intense training regiment. Kabuto now grabbed his arm and sliced him just below the elbow. Sasuke looked at him in shock. "Now do it again," said Kabuto._

_It was the most painful and intense training he had ever gone through. Sasuke had about a hundred small cuts across his body by the end of the day, but had mastered the skill pretty well. Kabuto was impressed, but that did not seem to deter him to work Sasuke to the point of collapsing him. By the end of the two month span, he could heal small wounds on the outside of his body pretty effectively. He also had felt his charka capacity expand, which finally allowed him to do a fourth chidori. Even though he could not move a single muscle after doing it, he smiled in triumph. 'And Kakashi said my growth would stop. Surely he couldn't have been serious.'_

_After about two months of this, Orochimaru took over only part of his training. Now the time Kabuto spent maiming him in some way was spent learning jutsus. Orochimaru's knowledge of the subject seemed endless as he was trying to decipher what level of jusu Sasuke could learn. He ended up teaching him some basic level elemental jutsus. He seemed to especially concentrate on the element of thunder, and it wasn't until a few days ago when Sasuke learned why._

"_In about four days time we will be making a voyage to the Nation of Thunder," said Orochimaru to a large group of nins. Sasuke never did see where Orochimaru found this trash, but he surveyed the crowd for any signs of strength. Some seemed to have those odd, sound devices he had seen the first time he encountered Sound nins. Some even had cursed seals. 'Well,' thought Sasuke, 'at least they're not totally weak.' Orochimaru continued with his speech, "This mission is to ensure a treaty between our clan and the Thunder nation. The Raikage has already informed me that we will be given amnesty in the Thunder Nation barring the exam. The Hidden Cloud have a profound hatred for the Leaf and if we can convince them to support us in our efforts, we could easily crush them. Therefore, it is imperative that none of you do anything that would offend or anger the Thunder Nation." Suddenly, he looked up staring straight at Sasuke. "Sasuke is the reason we have amnesty in the first place," said Orochimaru. Sasuke raised a single eyebrow in surprise, but showed little else emotion wise. "The Raikage has wished to see one of the Leaf's greatest bloodlines in action, and I have decided to deliver in that respect. However," his tone suddenly grew stern, "I want you all to watch yourselves. The Thunder may hate the Leaf, but they are very weary of us as well. Especially you Sasuke; there is no love lost between the Hidden Cloud and those who possess exceptional bloodlines of the Leaf. That is all, now get ready."_

That had been about four days ago. They were leaving for the Thunder Nation today, hoping to arrive there before the Leaf and thus settle in beforehand. Sasuke looked up at the sky, the weather had an ominous feel to it, as it grew black and thundered. Rain slowly began to fall, washing away the target areas he had made, but he continued to look up at the sky. He wondered if this was the same weather the Leaf was experiencing right now.

He had been thinking about the village he left behind ever since Orochimaru's meeting; wondered how things had changed there; how Sakura and Naruto were doing.

'Naruto,' he thought. His mind trailed off to the fateful day when his brother had killed the clan. _"You too can achieve eyes like mine, but you must kill your closest friend." _'I was so close too. I was weak, but I could have finished him off easily, but then...I would be just like you. I will not be you; I will not take the same path you took; I will not be your puppet, following your orders like a marionette on strings. Even if I must be possessed by Orochimaru I will surpass you, and I will kill you.

'But,' he continued with his self-monolague, 'even so...' He couldn't kill Naruto. Naruto represented something he had not felt in so long; the feeling of family, of acceptance. True, he had been doted on in the village, but that was just because of his blood. Naruto was the first person who did not dote on him and even seemed to borderline hate him. Sasuke found this annoying at first, but then came to expect it from Naruto. Eventually, the brat grew on him, and he experienced a feeling he before Itachi had become so heavily influenced into the clan. Back when they weren't rivals or enemies, just siblings.

Sasuke pushed the thought from his mind, attempting to gather himself back to reality, but his mind kept wandering back to the Leaf.

'Sakura,' he thought. 'What had she meant, "I love you with all my heart?" Did she really know what love was.' Sasuke had always thought she liked him on simply a physical level; he never thought that the annoying girl was capable of love. Yet, he had felt something when she had told him that. 'But that's irrelevant now; I have too much important work to do to think of such trivial matters. Naruto, Sakura, and all of the Leaf, I would gladly leave any of you, betray any of you, kill any of you if it gets me one step closer to him.'

And with that, Sasuke went back to the Sound base to prepare for whatever may come.

"You're taking quite a big risk," Kabuto said.

They were sitting in the middle of the Sound complex; all of their minions had gone to prepare for the journey tonight. 'It will be a few weeks before we can make the journey to the Thunder Country,' he thought.

He turned his head to stare at the man beside him. Orochimaru was still recovering from the body possession he had done only a few months prior to this. He lifted up his still bandaged arms, slowly and very shakily. 'Seems like it was a success, though it will still take time to completely recover,' he thought.

Orochimaru turned to look at him. "It's a risk I'm more than willing to take Kabuto," he said, "Just think of what we can accomplish with an alliance with the Thunder Nation. We could smash the Leaf into oblivion; they wouldn't stand a slight chance." Orochimaru smiled evilly, "There's no love lost between the Leaf and the Cloud, and besides, even if I can't use my arms well, I am more than a match for anything the Cloud will throw at me."

"That's not what I mean," said Kabuto, "You're taking quite a large risk telling the Raikage that we have the last Uchiha in our possession. You of all people should know that the Cloud hate those eye bloodlines of the Leaf. He may try to kill him."

Orochimaru laughed openly at this. "Let him try. That boy's eyes are amazing; the greatest bloodline to ever exist on this earth. I cannot wait to have them for my own."

Kabuto kept his tone of concern. "I think you're seriously overestimating that boy Orochimaru. He's not perfect, I need not remind you that the Sharingan is not born without weaknesses as all bloodlines are."

"You worry too much," replied Orochimaru, "but nevertheless, keep an eye on him. I don't want any Leaf or Cloud bastards taking what is rightfully mine. No, the Raikage will see what that boy is capable and will practically beg us to join with him."

Orochimaru walked back off to his quarters, leaving Kabuto still feeling quite apprehensive. He still didn't understand what the Raikage had been so eager about. As soon as they had mentioned the last of the Uchiha was in their possession he had practically jumped at the chance to give them complete amnesty.

'I have a very bad feeling about this,' thought Kabuto, and with the thought still lingering in his mind, went to prepare.

_In the Thunder Country, Hidden Cloud Palace, home of the Raikage_

"So, all the arrangements have been made for their arrival?" asked a man bathed by candlelight. The Raikage of the Thunder Country wore a garb similar to that of the Hokage of the Leaf except the colors on his were a light yellow. He was also considerably younger, having a very clean shaven face, that looked not a day past 25. The Raikage overviewed the preparations for the Chuunin exam to be held in his country. "I want to make sure that things go through smoothly."

"Yes, Raikage-sama, everything is ready. Everything checked and double-checked," said the man opposite him. He seemed to shift about anxiously as if waiting for an opportunity to ask something but was unsure whether it would be appropriate.

"Very good Raan, you may go. I'll leave the final preparations up to you," The Raikage dismissed him with a wave of his hand. Raan hesitated, and then proceeded to leave until the Raikage spoke again. "Oh," said the Raikage, "Is there something else on your mind Raan?"

"Yes, Raikage-sama," said Raan. He seemed to go very slowly, as if picking his words carefully and deliberately. "It's just that, I have about entering those two in the exam. You see, they've never...really...been in this kind of environment before, interacting in a neutral setting with members of the other clans and villages. I just wonder if they're going to be...alright."

He waited for what seemed like an eternity for the Raikage to answer. Raan knew that Raikage-sama did not like to be undermined or have his authority questioned, but he had to take this risk. Surely, the Raikage could see that those two just weren't ready for this.

Finally, Raikage said, "You are referring to Julius and Set, are you not?" Raan, refusing to meet his eyes, simply nodded. "I see." The Raikage stood up and slowly walked to a nearby window and looked out. It was dark and snowy outside, as it always was in this country. Rarely did any light ever break through; it made for a rather dreary atmosphere. Raan had always despised that about this country.

"Your concerns have validity to them," said Raikage, refocusing Raan on the conversation at hand. His spirits rose slightly, perhaps the Raikage would pull them out of the Chuunin exam, give them more time to find ways to control them. "However," said Raikage, and Raan's spirits immediately sank again, "it is imperative in this Chuunin exam that the Hidden Cloud show the surrounding villages, that we are the strongest country. The Lord of Thunder has asked that both Julius and Set to participate so that the Thunder Country can flex its proverbial muscle in front of the other territories. I agree with him, both those children represent very important trump cards for our village, especially against the Leaf. Therefore, although your fears are not unfounded, we will simply have to keep a close eye on those two. That is your job Raan, as it has always been," he said with a much more forceful tone, that made Raan shudder slightly, "it is your duty to make sure these two not only complete the Chuunin exam, but also that they strike a certain amount of fear in any who would think about going into conflict with us. Genin such as themselves that can perform top-ranked missions need to be kept under our thumb for now."

The Raikage read Raan's face, still seeing the fear and doubt in him. It annoyed him whenever his ninjas felt any amount of misgivings towards his decisions. Nevertheless, Raan had always been a faithful servant to him. His tone softened, "I understand your fears Raan, their mental states seem to be shifting very rapidly, and it will be harder to control them later on in life," his tone hardened again, "but they WILL participate and they WILL come out victorious. Remember, those two are not anything more than weapons, the more they think about murder, death, killing, the better off we may be. That is all Raan, leave me, for I have much work to attend to."

Raan bowed deeply, and then left. Although his fears had not been resolved, he knew he could not convince Raikage-sama. He would just have to keep tabs on them, although, as sporadic as they were now, that would prove a problem. Raan sighed deeply, he really didn't know how he had gotten stuck with the Thunder Nations' pet projects, but he had sworn that he would do his best to keep those two in line. He just wondered how long he would be able to do that...


	8. Part 20: On the Road Again

Hey all. Just going to tell you from here on out I'm going bump the rating up to PG-13, as the story gets pretty gruesome at times. No big deal.

Part 2.0: On the Road Again

Morning had finally come to the Leaf village. The few first strands of light slowly came over the horizon and lit the sky on fire, bathing the village in a gentle radiance. The storm had passed, and as the water slowly trickled down from the rooftops of the houses it reflected the sunlight causing the light to scatter and hit every spot of darkness on the ground. It was a beautiful day in Konoha, and the sunlight slowly made its way into every house.

Naruto was sound asleep, last nights proceedings had left quite a bit to think about and he hadn't actually slept until about three hours ago. The rays of the sun slowly came thought the blinds in his window and made their way across his face. Naruto groaned and slowly opened his eyes to be greeted by daylight. He frowned at the light and slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. 'What time is it?" he thought. He looked around; the room still looked blurry and he could barely tell even where he was. He looked over at his bed stand. '8:00,' he thought...'8:00!! I'm gonna be late, we leave at 8:30!" Naruto promptly jumped out of bed and ran into the shower, tearing his pajamas off in the process. He quickly turned the faucets but nothing was coming out. 'What the hell,' he thought. Naruto began to hit the shower faucet. Still nothing; he then grabbed the shower faucet with both hands and began pulling and pushing it left and right. Finally, the shower head gave and greeted Naruto with a blast of cold water that knocked him to the other side of the shower stall. Residents nearby could have sworn that the brat was being tortured as loud as he was screaming and cursing.

He quickly turned off the shower and went to brush his teeth, inadvertently poking himself in the eye with his toothbrush, which led to him tripping on the bathroom rug, which led to him hitting his head on the closed door. Naruto laid on the ground for a second before tearing the door down in a fit of rage. He then proceeded to stuff everything from extra clothes to instant ramen in a large bag and quickly opened the door. The landlady was standing there, "What's all the commotio-" she stopped in mid sentence and looked at Naruto in a repulsed fashion. "What?" he asked. Naruto looked down and blushed a bright crimson. He quickly slammed the door, 'Seems I forgot to dress,' he thought nervously. "Sicko!" the landlady shouted before leaving down the end of the hall.

Naruto finally left his apartment and headed down the street at a furied pace. He finally caught sight of Lee and TenTen who had apparently stayed behind to wait for him. Lee was doing some type of weird training exercise where he did pushups from a complete vertical position. TenTen merely shook her head in disgust. "You're late," she said, "Gai-Sensei has already gone ahead of us. He's been asking all the Jounin something before we leave. I wanted to go on ahead, but this goof insisted that we wait up for you." Naruto smiled jokingly at Lee. Lee did a flip and returned to his original position on his feet. "Well, Gai-Sensei said that he wanted us to wait anyway. He didn't want to spoil the surprise for the special training he's got in store for us." Lee assumed the look he always had when Gai-Sensei did something that normal people would consider stupid. "Just think, it could be the most spectacular, amazing, and exhausting training we've ever done. A training that will bring us glory and a most assured victory in the Chuunin exam."

"Yeah whatever," replied TenTen, "Well, you're here now, so we'd better catch up with the others." They walked on down the road. Naruto felt slightly awkward walking with them having assailed Lee just the night before. They walked on, away from the village now down a road cut amongst the trees. The trees had long lost all of their leaves, which were scattered about the forest floor and the road itself. It was a long time before one of them spoke again.

"Hey thickbrows," said Naruto. Lee turned around but continued walking backwards to ensure they wouldn't lose pace. "About last night..." Naruto continued. Lee waved the back of his hand at him, "Don't worry about it Naruto, no big deal." TenTen raised an eyebrow at this, "What are you guys talking about." Lee got back into his Gai-worshipping mode and answered, "Naruto was just asking about the most assured victory strategy that Gai-Sensei has planned for us. He's almost as excited as I am." TenTen turned to look at Naruto, "Really, huh, I thought you hated Gai's 'training strategies'." Naruto laughed nervously, "Well, I had a change of heart I guess." 'Damn thickbrows,' thought Naruto, 'You could have come up with a better story than that.'

It was another hour before they finally came upon the rest of the group. Gai seemed to have persuaded the group to stop and wait for them. It was pretty large, about forty people in all. However, Naruto noticed that this group was considerably smaller than the one that had been in Tsunade's office. Some people must have pulled out. Many different Chuunin and Jounin were her as well, most of which Naruto did not recognize. However, one face stood out amongst them, Shikamaru. He looked like he'd very much like to be in any other place right now. Naruto smiled to himself, 'serves him right,' thought Naruto, 'I still don't know why the made him a Chuunin instead of me'. Tsunade was talking to Kakashi about something and the rest of the Jounin sat with the students. Naruto surveyed the rest of the group. All of the rookie teams from the first Chuunin exam had stayed, including, much to Naruto's disappointment, that loudmouth Kiba. "About time you got your lazy ass up isn't it?" he called to Naruto mockingly, "We can't wait all day for some no talent bum like yourself."

Naruto was just about to charge at Kiba when Gai suddenly appeared in front of them. "Ah, finally, the youths under my amazing guidance have arrived," he said. As promised, I have created a most strenuous and invigorating training schedule for you three. It is quite possibly the most brilliant schedule ever fashioned by mortal hands. But you must be resilient and not fall onto the path of decadence and laziness lest your most promising youth be wasted on idle pursuits." Naruto was confused by most of this, but Lee was hysterically writing every word his sensei spoke into his journal. "Now, come to the head of the group, I have a most important announcement to make." Naruto's confusion continued to increase. 'What kind of training does this weirdo have in store for us that needs to be told to everyone.' He exchanged looks with TenTen who appeared to be thinking the same thing. Lee however gave Gai a simple salute and followed him to the head of the group. Naruto and TenTen followed suit.

"Attention all youth, elders, or otherwise," Gai said in a booming voice. All eyes in the group turned to Gai. "With the permission of your Jounin sensei I have created a most stringent training program for the youth under my tutelage. You see, this journey will be a most long one and the beautiful azure beast before you does not want his youth to grow decadent. Therefore, I have asked all the Jounin sensei if I can apply the most stringent of training exercises to my students specifically. You see, in a group of this size, normally, everyone would do their part to ensure its functioning, and this case is no different. However, the most basic of chores, catching food, cutting wood for fires, etcetera, will be done exclusively by my team in order to ensure they remain in fit shape for the exams."

Naruto's jaw almost hit the ground in surprise. 'There's no way he can be serious; there's got to be at least forty people here, we can't do all that for them.' "Are you SERIOUS!?" yelled Naruto.

"Always Naruto," said Gai in a reassuring tone, "but don't worry, your sensei will not neglect you as all of the members of team Gai will have special individual training sessions with the great Gai."

Naruto simply stood their in silence, his mouth open and his eyes wide with shock. TenTen carried the same expression with her as well. Gai simply stood there, giving them the thumbs up and shining teeth pose. 'No way,' thought Naruto, 'how could he possibly expect us to go along with this. Not even Lee could agree with this.' Naruto looked over at Lee, who had a steady stream of tears coming down his face. "Isn't Gai-Sensei generous Naruto," said Lee, pumping his fist into the air.

"WHAT!? Exactly what part of him is generous!?" said Naruto his voice cracking slightly under the strain of yelling so loud.

"Don't you see Naruto, Gai-sensei has almost assured our victory in the Chuunin exams," lectured Lee, "By doing the work we normally would, we would be doing the work of one genin each. But by doing the work of about twenty-four genin, eight chuunin, and eight Jounin, our strength will increase by at least one-hundred fold."

"Exactly my point Lee," said Gai, "this trip will be one final test of all of your skills to ensure your readiness for the exams. By the time we actually get to the Country of Thunder, you will be able to handle anything that the Hidden Cloud throws at you," and put the exclamation point on his speech with his usual thumbs up good guy pose. "I promise."

Naruto simply could not believe this. In even the short period of time he had been under Gai, he simply could not believe that Gai serious. 'All of that, for everyone here. No way, that's just not...' Naruto collapsed on the ground from shock, groaning slightly.

"Yes Naruto," said Gai, "we will all need rest for the journey ahead, but not now, we must make haste and it is you three's job to catch breakfast while we move. Now Gai team GO!"

Naruto only heard a resounding yes from Lee; while TenTen followed looking very downtrodden. 'What did I do to deserve this?' asked Naruto.

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Raan looked down at the scene before him. 'Dammit,' he thought, 'not again.' He looked down solemnly at the scene of carnage before him. The building was dusty and dilapidated, showing signs of age. It had been abandoned for some time. However, footprints and the signs of a slight scuffle seemed to have brought the area back to life. Blood littered the area, washing the walls into a grotesque crimson. Light pierced through a cracked window and lit the scene up before him. It penetrated and exposed everything and seemed to land most prominently upon a white cloth under which three corpses laid. Raan had discovered this area before the local media had, and he had seen the bodies. They were young girls, each looked to be about eighteen to twenty years old. Their faces were splattered with blood and their eyes had already rolled into the backs of their heads, giving away their lifelessness. Their skin had already begun to go blue and was even cold to the touch. Their bodies themselves were heavily mutilated, bearing signs of a harsh beating followed by what looked as though something had ripped the apart from the outside in. The blood easily splattered everywhere, leaving a trail from beginning to end. Raan observed them further. 'Looks like these two were the first to go. The third after seeing the carnage tried to escape but...' the third body lay a few feet from the others, in the same condition, except it was facing down, where the other two were facing up towards the sky. 'He must have caught her on the run,' thought Raan, 'she didn't get very far.' The whole place reeked of death, the musky scent of decaying wood mixed in with the smell of the blood gave for a rather pungent odor. He felt bile begin to rise in his throat, but he choked it down.

"Looks like the master killer has struck again eh?" asked a local reporter taking pictures of the grotesque scene. "Just can't seem to get any clues on this one can you Raan?"

"No, I suppose not," he said. That wasn't true; he knew very well who was doing this, knew him better than Raan liked to admit. He sighed heavily and placed his forehead in his hand. He was wearing his special Cloud forehead protector, showing the insignia of the Hidden Cloud Police Force. The normal clouds were wrapped in a circular figure resembling a police badge. 'The Raikage must have let him do this, given them both a night off to go have some 'fun',' thought Raan. He sighed heavily.

"Hey man, it's not your fault," said the reporter, "you're trying your best. The whole village has complete confidence in you that you'll wrap this thing up sooner or later. I mean, you're only a Chuunin, and you've never let a criminal escape the force yet." He placed a reassuring hand on Raan's shoulder, trying to comfort what he believed to be frustration.

Raan smiled weakly. "Thanks, I guess you're right." 'I don't deserve any praise. I'm just as bad as they are. Well, I have to try and reason with them, to try and protect the village somehow.'

"Listen, I've got to take care of something real quick. Don't disturb the scene until I get back," he said.

"Sure, don't worry about a thing," said the reporter. Raan gave another weak smile and slowly walked out the doors of the building. It was snowing again outside, and as usually, it was dark. 'Probably about midday,' he thought. He pulled a cigarette and lighter from his pocket and lit the end of it. He immediately touched the glowing cigarette to his lips and took a single, long drag from it before tossing it aside. He exhaled the smoke back out in front of him, only for the wind to whip it back into his face. He looked down at the snow, noticing a slight puddle in it. His own reflection looked back at him. He was only 18, but was already an accomplished officer on the squad. While not the best offensive ninja in the world, he was brilliant, and could notice details that others could not. He also was the best negotiator in the Hidden Cloud; 'Probably the reason I'm where I am today,' thought Raan. His face was very clean shaven, with a pair of golden eyes that gave him a very warm and friendly look. He was quite tall, about 6 feet. He wore the traditional style Chuunin jacket, a dark black vest with a fuzzy collar around the neck to keep the user warm. His jumpsuit was padded for warmth and completely black, as were his shinobi boots, knee length. He scratched the back of his head in apprehension. His hair was long and very dark black, going all the way down his back in a long ponytail. He shook the snow from his head and continued on down the road. 'He won't be far,' Raan thought, 'He doesn't like people messing with his creations.' He looked from building to building and noticed one almost directly parallel from the one the girls were in. He opened the doors, startling a flock of birds from the rafters above him. Light pierced through the darkness into the room. It resembled the other building almost perfectly, except the windows were boarded, letting no light through. He stuck the doors open and continued on. 'He's here all right,' thought Raan, 'I can feel it.'

"Set," he said, "I need to talk to you." He waited for a response, yet none came. Suddenly, there was a movement above him, on the rafters. He could here the metal clang from rafter to rafter as he jumped across them. Raan swallowed hard from apprehension. "C'mon Set, I just want to talk."

Something dropped about fifty feet from him, scattering the dust into the air and landing with a loud crash. Raan's heart beat faster, he could feel it.

Set lazily opened his eyes in the darkness. His eyes were the only part Raan could see; they were a blood red with strange crisscrossing lines moving perpendicular to each other. Raan's breathing became heavily labored. 'Those eyes, I can't stand them.'

"So," replied Set in a voice that sent chills down Raan's spine, "my illustrious keeper wants to talk to me. Well then by all means..."

Raan heard the doors slam behind him, leaving just a faint trace of light in the building. 'Julius!' he thought. He could see Julius's outline by the door. His heart raced now, he was trapped.

"Talk."


	9. Part 21: Gifts Given and Lessons Learned

Hello all. Someone asked a while ago why my numbering changed. The thing is, I like to separate my parts when my storyline changes settings or areas, so I label them 1.1, 1.2, etc. However, doesn't recognize the dots, so it comes out 11, 12, 20 and so on. Sorry for the confusions thought I know its no big deal. Well, on to the story.

Part 2.1: Gifts Given and Lessons Learned

It had been nearly two weeks since the journey to the Thunder Country started, and Naruto had hated the entire experience from day one. Every morning he was greeted with the usual jeers of "Naruto could you get breakfast for me; Naruto this fire is getting low, chop some wood; Naruto, watch the perimeter, you're not doing anything important; Naruto, clean up after Akamaru, we wouldn't want the enemy following a trail." (With the latter comment coming from Kiba). By midday he had already performed the tasks of at least twenty people. It was as much as an exhausting experience as it was an annoying one. He just seemed to be like the personal maid for the entire group. TenTen was much the same way, and by midday she had already collapsed twice from exhaustion only for Lee to pick up the slack and continue with the work.

Lee seemed to be the only one of the group that was enthusiastic about the experience. Along with the usual training he already did, he also did most of the chores required of them. Anytime Naruto or TenTen would slow down, Lee would simply pick up the slack and work even harder. Naruto didn't know whether to admire his enthusiasm or pity his naiveté.

However, the chores were the least of their worries. After all, Gai had promised a 'most rigorous, personal training experience with the great azure beast', and he certainly did deliver...

"_Alright Naruto, are you ready for your most rigorous, personal training experience with the great azure beast?" Gai asked in a voice full of enthusiasm. _

_Naruto had just finished cleaning up what was left of the campsite and was feeling less than enthusiastic. What he really wanted to practice was hitting Gai over and over again for making this stupid deal. Naruto sighed heavily, "Yeah, I guess so."_

"_Naruto, I do believe that was less than passionate, and I will except nothing less than your most passionate best," lectured Gai, "So give me the best 'I am ready for my most rigorous, personal training experience Gai-Sensei' that you can give me."_

_Naruto seethed with rage. He felt that if he clenched his teeth any harder they would break inside his mouth. However, for the sake of just possibly having a really useful training session with Gai, he said through clenched teeth, "I am ready for my most...rigorous, personal training experience with Gai-Sensei, the thick browed bastard," Naruto added in a low mutter._

"_Well, I guess I'll get Lee later to show you how to do it properly. However, now we come to the training itself. Naruto, I have been watching your progress very carefully, and I have come to the following, most knowledgeable conclusion. Your main problem is that while you have a variety of interesting ninjutsu, your taijutsu skills are still abysmal. Did I not teach you that the true Taijutsu users are the most powerful, punctual, and prettiest ninjas in the world? Why do you think that Lee and I are the best looking guys here?"_

_Naruto could have thought of several comebacks to this but kept his comments to himself and continued to listen. "How can you say my Taijutsu is bad Gai-sensei, my style is one of my own personal ones. Its, um, a style that, well, catches my opponents off guard using my...amazing strategic skills." 'Wow,' Naruto thought, 'that sounds so good. I'm such a smooth guy.'_

"_Is that so Naruto,' said Gai, with a slight tone of malevolence in his voice. "Well then, you wouldn't mind proving it to me." He began to walk towards the middle of the clearing. "Naruto, for this exercise, I want you to hit me once, anything goes."_

'_Anything goes,' thought Naruto. He smiled deviously, 'This is going to be a piece of cake. I'll have this bowl-headed, super eyebrowed, egotistical idiot on his back and begging for mercy in no time.'_

_Gai took his usual battle stance with one arm crooked behind his back in a fist, while the other was held in front of him, bent at the elbow turned upward with the back of his hand facing Naruto. He was still smiling at Naruto and gave a small flick of his fingers signaling Naruto to start._

_Naruto went into a big, foxish grin and started his attack. "Kage-bunshin no jutsu," he yelled, and ten clones of Naruto appeared next to him. They encircled Gai from all side, but Gai still stood in the same position. He either did not see some of the clones go behind him, or he did not care. Naruto was annoyed at this, 'So, underestimating me are you,' he thought. He thought for a moment and then decided for two of the clones to attack Gai's legs from behind while the rest hit him from the front. His clones nodded in silent agreement, yet Gai still stood resolute, a big smile plastered on his face._

_Suddenly, Naruto's clones from the front attacked going high and low while the ones behind Gai went low and for the legs. Gai still stood in the same position, as if he didn't even notice that Naruto had begun his assault. Suddenly, Gai moved the arm in front of him and swept the air in one single, lightning quick motion. Naruto couldn't believe his eyes as all the clones going high had disappeared in a poof of smoke. Gai then grabbed the two going low by their clothes and flung them into the air, delivering a fist in the back to each one. _

_Despite this, Gai kept his gaze on Naruto, not moving his head throughout the ordeal. Naruto smirked as the clones behind Gai came in for the kill. However, Gai did a small hop in the air and landed on top of the clones, one foot on each, causing them both to disappear. Gai landed and went back to his original position, his eyes never having left Naruto. _

'_Alright freak, you want to play rough then?' thought Naruto. "Kage bunshin no jutsu," said Naruto with sixteen clones appearing this time. Naruto and his clones encircled Gai again, but just like last time, Gai only kept his eyes on the real Naruto. Naruto made a low growl and charged at the same time as his clones. They were only a few feet from Gai when he made his move._

"_Konoha Senpuu," yelled Gai before performing a complete whirlwind kick, deflecting Naruto's attack completely and sending Naruto, himself, sprawling away from Gai, hitting his head hard against a tree. Naruto winced in pain, rubbing what would most likely be a painful knot on his head later on._

_Naruto was livid over his second failed attack. He stood up on his feet and glared at Gai, who stared back only to give Naruto a very shiny smile._

"_That's it bowlhead, now I'll show you what I'm really made of," screamed an irate Naruto. He again created his shadow clones but this time left one next to him in order to help with his most powerful attack. The clones charged at Gai, attempting to cut his gaze from Naruto. However, Gai gracefully countered every clone Naruto threw at him, destroying each one in a puff of smoke. Suddenly, something rustled in the bushes behind them and Gai's attention was diverted._

'_Now's my chance,' thought Naruto. He held out his right hand, channeling charka into it with the help of the clone next to him. The charka swirled into a bright blue ball in the center of his hand. A loud whirring sound was heard amidst the fighting. Finally, the rasengan was focused. 'Alright moron, now you're going to get it!' thought Naruto. He charged at Gai, the rasengan held out in front of him, cutting through the wind making a slight whistling noise to accompany the already whirring sound emanating from it._

_Gai's focus went back to Naruto; there was a slight look of surprise on his face as Naruto leapt into the air and attempted to drive the rasengan into Gai's chest. However, the look of surprise was replaced with the same smile Gai had started out with. _

_Naruto came closer to Gai, traveling through the air with his target right in front of him. He was closer now, only inches from Gai; Naruto could see the force of the rasengan rippling Gai's bodysuit. "You're mine!" shouted Naruto._

_It all happened in an instant. Gai bent his back to the point where he was horizontally parallel with the ground, and Naruto sailed right over him. Naruto looked on, wide-eyed in surprise as his rasengan failed to hit its mark. Gai quickly rolled under Naruto and shifted his weight to one hand, bringing his legs around to give a strong kick to Naruto's backside sending him sprawling towards another tree. _

_Naruto flailed in the air, but managed to allow the rasengan to hit the tree first, slowing his dive into the tree. The rasengan took a large hole out of the tree and left a large spiral mark all across the trunk. Naruto sighed in relief only to hear a crack above him. He looked up to see a broken branch strike him squarely in the face, promptly knocking him on his back. _

_Naruto groaned in pain as he lay on the forest floor. It was pretty cold, even though the air itself was warm. He heard bellowed laughter and looked up from his position. Gai was laughing heartily at his predicament. Naruto wanted to go over there and punch him, but then thought better of it._

_Finally, Gai's laughter subsided, "Now do you get what I'm saying Naruto?" he said. "You have some very amazing skills, but you just don't know how to use them properly yet. You are rough at this point in time, but with my most amazing teaching abilities, I can teach you to shine!" _

"_WOW, isn't Gai-Sensei incredible!," came a noise from the bushes._

_Gai looked over and quickly pulled out an eavesdropping Lee. Lee laughed nervously, "I was just, uh, looking for firewood Gai-Sensei."_

_At first, Naruto thought Gai would berate Lee in his usual fashion. However, Gai rubbed his chin as if he had just come up with an idea. "Most excellent timing Lee," said Gai, "We're in luck Naruto, I have just devised another most brilliant training exercise for you."_

_Naruto stared at Gai dumbfounded, 'What could he possibly want me to do with Lee, unless...'_

"_Naruto," continued Gai, "you will spar with Lee while I make notes on your form and abilities. Now go to the opposite side of the clearing for here you will learn a most important lesson."_

_Naruto proceeded to go to the other side of the clearing of trees. Gai seemed to be whispering something to Lee. When he was finished, Lee saluted him and gave a resounding, "Yes Gai-Sensei". _

_Naruto prepared his stance, 'Thickbrows shouldn't be a problem. I can just catch him off guard with some of the shadow clones,' thought Naruto._

"_Oh," said Gai, "I almost forgot, for this match Naruto, you can use no ninjutsu. Anything else goes, but no ninjutsu. Alright, begin."_

"_Wait a second, no ninjutsu, what are you talki-" but either Lee had not heard Naruto's pleas or did not care. He was already rushing towards him; however, Naruto's focus was on Gai, attempting to get his attention._

_Lee came in fists blazing, delivering five punches to the stomach and chest before Naruto had time to respond. Naruto look up eyes wide, and the last words he heard before he lost consciousness were "Konoha Senpuu". _

Such had been the routine for Naruto for about a week and a half. He was now standing beside the river attempting to catch enough fish for about twenty people. Fishing was scarce, as the weather seemed to go through a paradigm shift as they approached the Thunder Country. What little signs of life were left in the land as they had approached it, seemed to be choked out of it, replaced by hard snow, sleet, and a frost that killed all plant life. The river itself was moving at a very quick pace, so it remained unfrozen. Gai was with him, watching him catch fish. Naruto glared at Gai, 'Another one of these stupid training exercises eh?' Gai merely grinned his bright, shiny smile at Naruto and waved him into the water.

Naruto stared angrily at Gai, but then jumped in head first. The water was frigid, chilling him to the very core. He looked around quickly trying to find a fish as fast as possible. One finally caught his eye and he swimmed quickly towards it. Fortunately, the frigidness of the water affected the fist more than Naruto. The fish swam frantically against the current of the water, but Naruto swam faster, determined to end this ludicrous exercise. He stretched his hand out, his fingers numb, barely moving outward. He slowly gripped the skin of the struggling fish. He swam to the surface, taking in a gasp of air as the wind whipped around him, freezing him completely. He slowly made his way to the shore, throwing the fist onto land to ensure he had it.

"Excellent work Naruto," shouted Gai, "Your most youthful eyes seem to have finally seen that my training methods will bring you glory and recognition like you have never seen before."

Naruto's hair had completely frozen as small icicles now clung to it. He was freezing, even more so than he was in the water, but Gai continued to praise him and his training methods. Finally Naruto turned to Gai, still shaking, "How does diving into icy water, catching fish, and almost being frozen to death have to do with any type of training!?" he shouthed, "You still haven't told me what this most important lesson you were going to teach me was."

Gai scratched his head for a minute and looked up, "Oh yeah," he laughed, "I guess I was supposed to tell you that wasn't I?"

Naruto fell to the ground in amazement, but quickly came back up to his feet. "THAT'S THE WHOLE REASON I'VE BEEN DOING THIS YOU IDIOT!!" he bellowed.

Gai quickly regained his composure and continued. "Well, I guess its about time you learned this most important lesson Naruto, you see- " He was cut off mid-sentence from someone approaching behind them.

"Gai," said Kakashi, "they've arrived, we need everybody back at camp." Gai nodded his agreement and followed Kakashi beckoning Naruto to do the same.

"WHAT!" shouted Naruto, "Wait a second Gai-sensei you haven't told me the lesson yet."

"Come on Naruto, that can wait," said Gai, "Our allies are here and I think we should take time to properly greet them."

Naruto furrowed his brow in confusion, 'Allies?' he thought.

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Raan slowly opened his eyes to find himself in a hospital bed, looking up at the ceiling. He could hear the cacophony of a hospital busy at work; with people shuffling in and out of rooms, sending people to the ER, and prepping patients for surgery. He slowly sat up and looked around. His clothes were setting in a chair next to his bed, and a variety of flowers and gifts sat at a bed stand to his right. The room was ridiculously white, and appeared very bright despite the absence of light in this country. There was a single window in the room. It looked like morning, as the usually dark grey clouds had turned into a white-grey combination as sunlight made a futile attempt to pass through it. It was snowing, though lightly so. It stuck to the window for a few seconds before the heat inside the room turned it into water, which slowly trickled down it.

Raan attempted to move, but found it painful to do so. He looked down at himself. He was in abysmal condition. Half of his body was covered with a blanket, but his upper body was in bad enough shape to suggest the same for the lower. His ribs were heavily taped, 'Probably broken again,' he thought. 'I'd be lucky if they left me without any internal injuries this time.' His hands were heavily bandaged as well. He moved his left index finger only for a shockwave of pain to erupt in his body. 'Broken too I guess.' The rest of his hands seemed no worse for wear. There were several serrations across his arms that had been bandaged up with medical tape. Dried blood was everywhere on his body in splotches and streaks, almost like tribal markings. He gingerly moved parts of his body to see what else was done. Although it hurt to breath and part of his chest look like raw meat, he was alright. 'I guess they've gotten bored with me,' he thought. He allowed himself a small chuckle, only to grasp his ribs in pain. He looked over on the bedstand and retrieved a metal pan. He slowly turned it around to see his reflection in the metal. His eyes were black and puffy, though not too swollen. The rest of his face was inflamed heavily, along with a long dribble of dried blood emanating from his mouth.

"Oh, you're up," said a pleasant voice in the doorway. A young nurse stood in the doorway, dressed in a blue gown that clung to her body. Her hair was short and brown, and her eyes were viewing over some chart, turning pages as she went. She chewed on a pen in apprehension.

Raan stared at her with a bored expression as she entered the room. She went over to the left side of the bed facing the window. She slowly grabbed his arm at the wrist and looked at her stopwatch. She then replaced his arm on the bedside and quickly scribbled something down on her chart. It was at least a few minutes of different tests before she spoke.

"Well," she said, "it doesn't look like any permanent damage, though I wouldn't do anything physical for a few weeks. How did you end up like this anyway?"

Everything came flooding back to Raan at that precise moment. He remembered the intense beating he had received at the hands of Set. 'Julius usually isn't as into these things as Set it, thankfully.' He looked up at the nurse.

"Well," he started.

_Set lashed out at him, his fist connected with his abdomen, shoving Raan back a good ten feet. He clutched his stomach and saw Set rearing up a kick for his face..._

"...I can't remember exactly..."

_A dozen shuriken flew at him. Raan kept most of them away from his vital areas, but many of them stuck into his arms and legs. Raan looked up, as Set delivered a roundhouse kick to his face, knocking him on the ground sideways. He could feel the blood begin to form in his mouth, the copper taste engulfing his senses. He turned around on his back; Set had jumped in the air, readying a knee to be placed into his chest..._

"I remember I was in a room somewhere..."

_He felt his back slam against the wall. Raan fell to his knees, coughing profusely. Blood had now risen in his throat and he threw up the blood and bile solution on the ground. He pushed himself up the wall for support. Set grabbed his arm at the wrist suddenly and rammed the palm of his other hand into Raan's back elbow, dislocating the joint. Raan screamed in pain as Set cackled madly..._

"...and I think I..."

"_Cut it out Set, you've beaten him enough," said a very cool voice coming from the side of the room. The figure walked forward, his boots making a dull thud against the wood of the floor. Set had Raan by his throat in the air now. He threw him harshly to the ground. Raan coughed up more blood, some dribbling down the side of his mouth._

"_Oh Brother Julius, you always ruin my fun," said Set very jokingly._

"_He said he came here to talk to you, not be beaten within an inch of his life," scolded Julius, his tone always serious. He looked at what was left of Raan, "What did you want anyway before we interrupted you?"_

_Raan could not respond with anything but a slight gurgle as blood and bile filled his mouth. Julius simply shook his head, "See, now he can't even talk," said Julius._

"_Well," said Set, in a very cheerful tone, "it seems our business is concluded then. I guess I'll show you the door." And with that, picked Raan up by the collar and threw him violently through the doors of the building back into the snow. Raan landed in the snow, the cold feeling washing over him. He raised his head slightly from the ground and watched Julius and Set staring at him. All he could see was their eyes. Set's eyes were a blood red with a perpendicular black marking crisscrossing in the middle of them. Julius's eyes were a stark contrast, being an unnaturally pale green. They slowly turned around and went back into the building. Raan rested his head against the snow before darkness consumed him..._

"...fell."

The nurse eyed him suspiciously. "You fell?" she said. Raan nodded in agreement. "Like into a meat grinder?" she said in disbelief.

"No," continued Raan, "I just fell...out a window. I'm kind of clumsy like that." He laughed nervously at the nurse. He felt he would have come up with a better excuse if he hadn't lost so much blood. His mind was still fuzzy.

"Right," said the nurse in a sarcastic tone. "Well, if you don't want to tell me I can't force you, but Raan, this is the third time this month you've come back to us in this kind of condition. Your body can only take so much. I don't know what's going on but you're going to have to tell someone eventually."

"I just did," replied Raan.

"Whatever," said the nurse. "In either case, you're going to have to stay here overnight so lie back. Oh, and there are a few gifts for you over there. Happy Birthday," she added cheerfully before exiting out the door.

'Birthday,' he thought, 'what day is it anyway.' He contemplated it for a moment before realizing it was his birthday. 'Man, my sense of time is off,' the thought. He looked over by his bedside. Two presents sat there, one wrapped in a small shimmering green wrapping. The other was wrapped in a bright red wrapping with a bow on top of it. He picked up the smaller package first and gingerly unwrapped it, as any movement still hurt. A note was attached to a fuzzy, elongated box. He opened the note and read it aloud.

"To my hospital bound boyfriend, I got this for you since you seem to always lose track of the time and day. Speaking of which we still have a dinner date for tomorrow at six o' clock. It took me nearly a week to get these reservations so I expect you to be there, despite the condition you're in. Well, I've got a mission to do, or else I would have waited for you to wake up. I'll visit when I can. Love you, Kimiko." Raan beamed brightly at this and smiled openly despite the pain he was now feeling. He opened the box to find a gold watch ticking inside. He opened the watch up to find that his and Kimiko's pictures were inside. He stared at her. She was the most beautiful creature the gods had ever decided to place on the earth. Her hair was long and flowing. It was a deep black, much darker than his own. It reminded him of a raven's feathers as silky and as much of a sheen it let off. Even in the picture, the light reflected against her brilliant hair. Her eyes were a deep blue that he found himself lost in constantly. However, her most distinguishing quality was her skin, which was to his amazement a very light tan. He constantly wondered how she was tan in this kind of environment, where his own skin was quite pale in comparison. Her face was rigid across the chin, but nonetheless very pretty. He looked at her longingly, 'She's the only thing in this godforsaken place that makes me want to stay.' He sighed deeply and then placed the watch back into the box with the note.

He then looked over to the second present. It was a bright red, wrapped in a gold bow with a note attached to the top of it. He picked it up, and almost dropped it; it was quite heavy. He placed it on his lap and opened up the note. The feeling of receiving a gift from Kimiko left him quite abruptly to be replaced by a look of horror as he read on.

"To my most illustrious and bedridden keeper. So sorry that we could not continue our little 'chat', but you seemed to be lost for words back there. Ah well, we'll talk later on when it's more convenient for both of us. Anyway, I heard that it was your birthday today so I got you something I picked up after our discussion. I do hope you like it. With much love, Set.

P.S. Don't worry about my artwork, I made sure it wasn't disturbed."

Raan let the note slip from his fingers. He noticed that there was a slight trickle of blood coming from one of the corners of the box. He hastily ripped the bow off and tore open the package. The stench of death entered into his nostrils, forcing him to turn away. He slowly looked into the box and again shut his eyes, dry heaving slightly.

The box contained the severed head of the reporter he had met earlier in the day. The eyes hung lazily open as blood oozed from the mouth. Raan hastily closed the package and placed it in the trash beside his bed. The blood covered his hands. The feeling of helplessness overwhelmed him, and he screamed as loud as he could.

Just outside Raan's window, a Cheshire smile came across Set's face.


	10. Part 22: Forseen and Unforseen

Hey all, thanks for the reviews, much appreciated. Its all good I guess, hope you all like this chapter. Nothing much else to say.

Part 2.2: Foreseen and Unforeseen

Naruto hastily followed Gai through the cold thicket of the forest. The rushing of the icy river was long behind him now as he made his way to the camp clearing. 'Allies?' he thought, 'what could Kakashi and Gai-sensei have been talking about.' He continued on a few paces behind Gai. It looked to be pretty close to nightfall around here, but Naruto really could no longer tell what time it was. The sky seemed to be enveloped with dark clouds that hung constantly overhead; it was a stark contrast to the usual sunny skies of Konoha. It still was pretty windy and cold today although no snow fell. As they made their way through the thicket, clumps of the white stuff fell from the tops of trees to hit Naruto on the head. He scowled at the forest, 'Seems like everything's against be today," he thought.

They finally arrived at the clearing and Naruto looked forward in legitimate shock. He actually rubbed his eyes to ensure he was seeing things correctly.

Along with their usual group, another, much smaller group, had joined up with them. By the way their camp was set up, they had just arrived. Fires were beginning to get started and food was slowly being cooked over them. Ninjas bearing the insignia of the Hidden Sand village stood huddled around the fires, trying to keep warm. They seemed to be very out of place here, amidst the snow and cold weather. 'If its Hidden Sand, I guess their own climate must be very different,' Naruto thought. He observed the campsite.

There were many new faces here he did not recognize; it looked to be about fifteen total genin to compliment their own twenty-four or so. He looked around the campsite, expecting to see the likes of Gaara, whom he hadn't seen ever since their battle at the first Chuunin exam. He had heard stories from Lee of Gaara helping him defeat the strong sound-nin Naruto had left him with. He looked around to see that Gai and Kakashi were both entering what looked to be a makeshift tent. It was pretty tall, and its figure whipped about in the wind. It looked like a fire was emanating from the middle of it. Naruto carefully made his way over to it, trying carefully to step over any genin that were in his way. He finally made it to the curtain and pulled it back slightly to peek inside.

One side of the tent contained Tsunade, accompanied by Gai and Kakashi on either side of her. On the opposite side contained Gaara's team from the first chuunin exam along with their Jounin sensei. Temari was wearing a dark purple skirt along with a long sleeved, brown coat; her large fan strapped to her back. She was fidgeting around attempting to stand still in the tent either out of apprehension or the weather itself. Kankuro stood next to chuckling slightly as he watched his sister react to the cold; which elicited an elbow to the ribs from Temari. He had what looked like two mummies tied to his back; they were about 5 feet in length and wrapped in tight bandages. Gaara stood on the other side of their sensei, standing stock still, his arms crossed diagonally on his chest. His eyes stared bullets into Tsunade; either the cold did not bother him, or he did not show it. He merely glanced off into the distance unblinkingly. However, Naruto noticed his gaze shift slightly so that it looked like he was staring at Naruto. Their Jounin stood in front of all of them; Naruto noticed it was the same man who he had seen with them in the first Chuunin exam; he never did know his name. He wore the traditional sand Jounin attire, complete with a tan vest and a dark black undersuit. A white turban covered his head and half of his face. He bowed deeply to Tsunade who quickly returned the gesture.

"Its good to see you again," said Tsunade very cordially. Gai and Kakashi bowed with her in unison. Kankuro and Temari exchanged the gestures as well, but Gaara simply stood unmoving, staring at Tsunade. "I was wondering if we could talk in...private."

"Of course," replied the sand Jounin. He nodded his head towards the door, beckoning for the three sand-nins behind him to leave. Temari and Kankuro gave one final bow before going, but Gaara simply turned and left through the door.

Naruto backed up to the side as Gaara came through. However, Gaara kept walking towards the middle of the sand encampment. Either he had not seen Naruto, or did not bother to notice him. Temari and Kankuro each gave a slight wave to Naruto, which he returned as they left.

"That means you too Naruto," came a deep voice from inside the tent. Naruto froze wide-eyed. 'How did Gai-sensei notice me?' he thought. He scowled at the tent and gave it the bird before going back into the forest to catch breakfast for his group.

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Gai allowed himself a slight laugh as he saw the outline of Naruto through the tent leave to go back into the forest. The Jounin eyed the three remaining and finally said, "Are they going to stay as well?"

"I won't be, as I have nothing new to add to this conversation," replied Gai, "And anyways, it's almost time for Lee's most passionate training regiment," to which he added with a whooping-crane pose, complete with ocean background.

The sand Jounin gazed at Gai with a very confused expression. Gai then gave his usual good-guy pose and left the tent.

Tsunade sighed, 'Dammit Gai, you could at least try to not act like some freak once in a while,' she thought. She regained her composure and took a seat in a chair behind her, Kakashi standing to one side. "So," she added very friendly, "How are things going on in the Wind Country Baki?"

Baki crossed his arms and looked upward as if reminiscing the current situation. "Its pretty chaotic right now," he finally said, "The death of the Kazekage has left a pretty big power gap in the Wind Nation. Right now, the lords of the country are trying to determine exactly how to replace him. Until then, the Lord of Wind will be governing over the country. I'm here acting as a diplomat from the Hidden Sand in hopes of getting help from the Hidden Cloud."

Tsunade crossed her legs and put one hand on her chin. Her voice turned very solemn, "You've heard about the exam then?"

Baki nodded slightly. "We've heard of the Raikage giving amnesty to the Nation of Sound," he said. "Unfortunately we're as much in the dark as you are. Why he's doing this or what his motives are we're not sure. I very much doubt that the Raikage would do this for peaceful purposes."

"Agreed," replied Tsunade, "But that begs the question, why exactly is he doing this?"

Baki simply shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. There was a dark silence between them for a while until the Jounin finally spoke. "We have something else we need to discuss as well."

Tsunade rose an eyebrow, "Oh, what else?" she said.

Baki continued, "About four months ago after our assistance in your mission to rescue the rouge Leaf nin," Tsunade looked downtrodden at this comment, but continued to listen to the Jounin, "we sent Temari's team to investigate certain events in the Thunder Nation."

"Wait," interrupted Tsunade, "Temari's team?"

"Yes," replied Baki, "she was promoted to a Chuunin shortly after the first examination. She did technically win the match," he added jokingly. Tsunade allowed herself to chuckle at this; she had heard stories of Shikamaru's forfeit when it looked like he was about to win. "I'm sorry," she added hastily, "please continue."

Baki nodded, "You see, our sources tell us that shortly after your cease-fire with the Hidden Cloud ten years ago, many of the smaller villages outlining the Thunder capital were depleted of their usual ninja escorts and thus opened themselves up to bandit attacks and the like. In response to this, five or so villages formed their own militia of ninjas to protect themselves. The Raikage demanded that they cease these activities as they undermined his authority. Tensions mounted between the villages and the Hidden Cloud until a full-scale rebellion with ten total villages took place against the Hidden Cloud. This went on for nearly another ten years, as negotiations between the Lord of Thunder, who supported the villagers' right to arm themselves, and the Raikage, who believed that this kind of behavior would only divide the nation, grew worse. Things grew increasingly poor and a full scale civil-war was thought to soon follow."

Tsunade listened intently, this was information she could not afford to disregard; however, she wondered how the sand had gotten so close into Thunder territory. She put the thought in the back of her mind and continued to listen.

"Therefore," continued Baki, "we sent Temari's team of Temari, Gaara, and Kankuro into the Thunder Nation to investigate these claims. If they were true, we could use it as a leverage point in which to force a treaty with the Hidden Cloud."

Finally, Tsunade spoke, "What did they find there?"

Baki looked down at the ground, his expression somber, "Nothing," he finally said.

"Nothing," replied Tsunade, "did they find the rebelling villages; maybe they searched the wrong area."

"That's not what I mean," replied Baki, "They found the villages, or more so, they found the piles of debris and carcasses that were the villages."

Tsunade took in a sharp intake of breath in shock. Her eyes widened but she maintained her composure. Even Kakashi looked slightly taken aback. "Did the Raikage attack them?" she asked.

Baki's visible eye looked directly at Tsunade, "We're not sure. Because we're only getting the details from a team rather than having actually seen it ourselves, it's hard to fully comprehend what happened. Anyway, they arrived there and checked out the village. Whatever had originally been there was decimated, wood and stone were broken down to rubble, and any lodgings looked like they had been through a natural disaster. However, none of that can compare with the population. Body parts were literally strewn about the area; blood had melted the thick snow everywhere, so that grass was actually seen under the inches of it. They must have attacked at night because some of the bodies were found still in their beds amidst the debris. Everyone, man, woman, or child, no one was exempt from the attack. Not only this, every one of the villagers were found decapitated."

Tsunade just stared dumbfounded at the last comment. She didn't say anything, but looked up at Kakashi. Kakashi stood there emotionless, but it was obvious that his breathing had picked up. This seemed to be visibly angering him.

Baki continued, "They found the heads in the town square, arranged in an ornate fashion, each upon a pike of different length with the pike entering the back of the head and exiting through the mouth. This was done very deliberately, as any blood that dripped down was moved into some ornate pattern. In the middle of the array was a single body that was not decapitated and seemed to be intact. She was a woman of about twenty years of age. She lay down in the center on her back upon a raised dais, with her head fixed upward to look at the heads that hung in the air. It looked like she had been precisely attacked as she was paralyzed from the neck down, and her body had been slashed repeatedly to allow the letting of blood that seemed to cascade down from the dais into a deliberate pattern. However, when they found her, she was still alive."

It looked like a glimmer of hope had entered Tsunade's eyes, but Baki simply shook his head to answer the question before it was asked. Tsunade looked back down at the floor.

"She did say one thing though, over and over, and over again," continued Baki, and Tsunade's eyes once again met his. "Devil eyes, devil eyes, devil eyes, devil eyes. She repeated the phrase until she expired a few minutes later. They were unsure if she was delirious or what this meant. However, after some investigating into the village, they found that this was done recently, like in a 24 hour time span. They also saw that it looked like this was done in no more than a team of two ninjas, as two sets of footprints were starkly different from the rest. You could almost tell the path they moved through the village, each seemed to take a side and go to work. The two sides were starkly different as the right seemed much quicker and deliberately cleaner. The left however seemed to toy around with his or her victims more, as could be told as there appeared to be many signs of a scuffle in the snow on his or her's side. It was not until a few days later that our sources told us that any talks of uprising within the Hidden Cloud were effectively squelched, and the remaining villages returned under the control of the Thunder Country."

Tsunade contemplated this new information for a while, and then turned to Kakashi, "What do you think this means?" she asked.

Kakashi merely shrugged, "I don't know. Anything like this could have been done by someone of perhaps medium or high Chuunin at least or a lower level Jounin. However, the manner in which they did this concerns me more. Ninjas by nature are not supposed to be this slow in killing someone. Either they were trying to make a statement of some kind, or they were under orders to do this in order to make an example of this village, or even both. The only thing I can suggest is that we keep our wits above us as there's not much more we can do. I don't know what this 'devil eyes' remark means but we'll see if it has any importance or not."

Baki nodded in silent agreement. Tsunade felt so helpless even though she knew there was nothing she could have done to prevent it; it simply was beyond her reach. Still, the sick feeling of guilt stayed with her. Finally, she spoke, "Thank you for informing me of this. I hope that despite this new information being brought to my attention that the Chuunin exam moves along smoothly. Thank you, you may leave now."

Baki bowed deeply before leaving out the tent flap. Kakashi followed suit, giving Tsunade a reassuring pat on the shoulder before leaving out the tent as well. Tsunade simply sat in her chair, staring at the tent ceiling, contemplating just what they were getting into.

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"HAAAAAAA," shouted Lee as he came across the clearing towards his sensei. This ground had been worn several times now, as footprints had changed the snow around so now patches of grass were showing underneath. Lee charged in at Gai, delivering a jumping, front kick towards Gai's face. Gai blocked the kick and grabbed Lee by the ankle, swinging him towards a nearby tree. Lee, looked wide-eyed with surprise, but quickly regained himself, and curled his body towards Gai, attempting to deliver a punch to Gai's midsection. Gai let go of Lee's leg and took a few paces back. Lee reverted himself back to his feet, and landed on the ground, skidding the snow under his sandals. The centrifugal force of the throw had sent Lee a good distance from Gai, but he quickly rushed forward to change the gap. Gai quickly threw a left jab at Lee, only for Lee to jump and grab Gai's arm by the wrist, attempting to bring his own body around for a kick to Gai's head. Gai anticipated and blocked high knocking Lee back; he then brought his own leg up high to knock Lee away from his body. Lee took the kick in the ribs, wincing painfully, but used the momentum to keep his hold on Gai's still outstretched arm and bring his body around full circle to deliver his own kick to Gai's side. Gai grimaced slightly as he retreated back from his position a few steps form Lee.

Gai laughed openly, "Excellent work Lee, you truly are shining in your youth," and gave Lee a thumbs up and shining smile.

"Thank you Gai-sensei," said Lee, returning the pose. Lee knew Gai wasn't going nearly all out with him, but still was grateful that his sensei would take time to spar with him. 'Someday, Gai-sensei won't have to slow himself down at all when we spar,' Lee thought to himself with a smile. Lee was about to charge again, but the sound of crunching underbrush distracted him.

He looked to his left to see someone approaching; he focused his eyes to get a better look, when a punch to the right side of his face forced him back to reality. Lee sprawled across the ground and landed face-down, with his head in a pile of snow. He quickly shook his head in order to get any snow off him, making his hair quake madly as he moved his head from side to side.

"Lee," came his sensei's voice, "It is most important for a ninja to know everything going on around him, but you must not let these things distract you from the moment at hand."

"I see," replied Lee and he quickly pulled out a notepad and quickly wrote down his sensei's lesson before returning it to his belt. Lee looked back at the spot where he had seen someone approaching and was taken aback at who was standing there.

Gaara stood before them, his arms crossed and his eyes fixated on the two of them. Lee rose quickly to his feet and returned Gaara's look. For a while, none of them said anything, until Gai shouted in triumph and said, "Lee, I have a most excellent idea for you. You see Lee, sparring with your sensei is all well and good, but if you are to maintain and grow, you must meet new challenges. Therefore..." He quickly strode over to Gaara and gave him a reassuring pat on the head, "I think sparring with this youth will give you a much needed boost in your skills. Of course, with your permission."

Gaara looked up at Gai, who was now grinning, the light reflecting off his teeth in a brilliant smile. His expression was pretty nonchalant, but he soon nodded in agreement.

"Most excellent," shouted Gai, "Well, I'd love to watch you two youth duke it out in your prime of life, but I have something I must attend to. Lee, later," and Gai quickly ran back to the campsite.

Lee waved goodbye to his sensei; he couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive being alone with Gaara. 'After all,' he thought, 'this is the person who almost took away my nindo.' Lee remained in his position for a while, one arm crooked behind his back in a fist, the other outstretched against his side, with the back of his hand out against Gaara.

Gaara simply stared at Lee before finally saying, "What's the matter bowlhead, frightened?"

Lee gritted his teeth at that comment. "My nindo does not allow me to be scared," he shouted, "If your wish is for me to fight you, then fight I shall." He suddenly charged at Gaara delivering a fist towards his face. Gaara stood indifferent to Lee's attack, when the gourde on Gaara's back suddenly opened and sand began to poor out, blocking Lee's fist.

'It always feels like I'm hitting something solid,' Lee thought. He backed off a few paces before attempting to kick Gaara again, only for the sand to once again block his attacks. He went on for five more hits, each one being blocked easily by the sand surrounding Gaara until Gaara retaliated. The sand moved outward, forming a closed fist that made its way towards Lee. Lee ducked and rolled to the side, again attempting to break Gaara's defenses with little success.

Throughout the sparring session, Gaara merely stood his ground against Lee's onslaught of techniques. Nothing was getting through. Finally, Gaara had had enough, "Desert Coffin," he said, and a rush of sand suddenly came towards Lee, grabbing his leg and throwing him against a tree. Lee winced in pain, and raised his hands to block, expecting Gaara to continue the attack. However, Gaara's sand simply came back to its original position around him.

Lee got back to his feet and smiled, "You certainly have changed Gaara-san," said Lee. Gaara only stared back at him with indifference. "Well, let's take this up a notch then shall we?" and with that Lee slowly reached down to his ankles...

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"Damn that thickbrowed bastard; he thinks he's so great," complained Naruto, as he fought back to the river amongst a thick underbrush, "he won't even tell me what amazing lesson he's been blabbing about anyway." Naruto slowly made his way back to the river he had been fishing from in a desperate attempt to at least meet the quota that Gai-sensei had put up for him. "Who does he think he is anyway? He just seems like some narcissistic freak who takes pleasure in tormenting me."

His thoughts of how much he hated Gai were quickly cut off by another sound in the distance. "Oh, how lucky, a hot spring." The words perked up Naruto. 'A hot spring, here!, he thought. He jumped in the air and rushed off to find the source of the noise, breaking noisily through the thicket.

He finally reached the origin of the noise and turned a bright red. He quickly scrambled backwards behind a large pine tree. Several of the female sand chuunin were undressing and bathing in a large hot spring nearby. "We were lucky to find this thing, the weather here is unbearable." All of the other chuunin agreed to this statement.

"Yes, very lucky indeed," came a voice above Naruto.

Naruto furrowed his brow and looked straight up to see what looked like a tangle of snow sitting in a tree. It took him a few seconds to realize that he was looking at the hair of that perverted hermit Jiraiya. He was laughing silently to himself and observing the Sand Chuunin from a distance with a telescope. 'Damn perverted hermit, what does the think he's doing?' thought Naruto, 'Well I'll fix him.'

Naruto quietly created a shadow clone and began performing the rasengan. Luckily, the wind covered up most of the sound it was creating. Finally after he completed it, he rammed it hard into the trunk of the tree, splintering the wood in every direction.

Jiraiya clung to the tree for dear life as it began to shake violently. Finally, the rasengan passed through completely, causing the tree to topple in the direction of the hot spring taking Jiraiya with it. The Chuunin below him scrambled out of the way quickly before the tree and Jiraiya came splashing down into the water below, throwing the hot spring water everywhere. Naruto laughed to himself at the predicament he had placed the perverted hermit in.

Jiraiya quickly composed himself before realizing he was surrounded by very angry women. He laughed nervously and quickly hid his telescope behind his back.

"PERVERT!!"

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"Oh man, that might be permanent," said Jiraiya, talking in a very whiny voice and rubbing his cheek softly. Suddenly, his tone turned furious as he looked at Naruto, "FOOL, I didn't teach you that technique so you could use it like that."

"Serves you right," replied Naruto, "I swear all you ever do is peek at women, can't you think of something better to do with your time. What are you doing here anyway?"

"Well I WAS collecting data for my latest novel until I was so rudely interrupted," said Jiraiya indignantly, "but I've got my own business to take care of in Thunder Country, so I'm tagging along, albeit secretly. I don't think Tsunade would appreciate the idea of me coming along."

Naruto looked at Jiraiya in a confused expression, "Why, is she afraid you'll peek at all the women in this trip or something?"

"Bah, brats like you just don't understand the true nature of peeking," lectured Jiraiya, "It is the great shinobi ability to be able to look at one's enemies at afar without getting caught. It is in this manner that I train every day, diligently practicing my stealthy art. Day in and day out, I will continue to train my amazing eyes so that no woman will ever escape my sight."

Naruto simply stared at Jiraiya in sheer amazement, "Yeah right you perverted hermit," he finally said, "You know, since you left I got stuck with that bowlheaded bastard Gai. He always makes me do the stupidest exercises like doing chores for the entire camp; sparring with him without using any of my super techniques. Training should be about learning the coolest and most powerful moves available and doing the most advanced training methods available, expanding your capacity so that you can become stronger. I can't get stronger just by catching fish in frozen rivers or cleaning up after that jerk Kiba's dog. I need to become the strongest I can so that I can make the entire village realize my exist- "

A sharp slap across the face stopped Naruto in mid-sentence. He turned his head quickly back to Jiraiya, who was looking at him in a very disappointed manner. "What the hell was that for you perverted hermit?" yelled Naruto.

"Shut up," said Jiraiya in a very forceful but soft tone. Naruto was taken aback, Jiraiya was never so serious. Jiraiya sighed softly to himself, "You just don't get it do you brat," he said. "I've watched people like Gai come and go in the ninja academy; those people who only go in on the basis of hard work without any natural talent. Very few have succeeded under those conditions, but Gai is different. I've seen him create his own unique nindo, create rivalries, and train like his life depended on it for the simple reason to get stronger, to be able to survive amidst other ninja. True, Gai is not the best jutsu teacher, and even though he is capable of doing jutsus unlike his pupil, nothing came easy for him. Do you get what I'm saying Naruto?"

Naruto just stared blankly at him, and then replied, "Do you?"

Jiraiya looked like he would very much like to punch Naruto, but thought against it. "Forget it brat, some lessons just need to be learned on your own."

"Whatever perverted hermit," said Naruto. He then proceeded to walk off, leaving Jiraiya along again.

He smiled to himself, 'You've got a lot to learn yet brat, but you'll come out alright I think. Now, back to practicing MY nindo,' he thought as he got out his telescope and proceeded to find another peeking spot.

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Julius sat on the roof of the Raikage's palace, looking out over the horizon. He could feel them coming, ever closer. Groups of filthy trash were coming to invade their territory, like a virus coming into a new host. He snarled, "I will purge the refuse from my sight; they offend my senses so."

"Oh, feeling bloodthirsty are we Brother Julius?" added a very malicious voice behind him.

"Not so bloodthirsty as much as offended Brother Set," said Julius in a very cold voice, "You feel them coming too no doubt."

"Yessss," said Set in voice filled with anticipation, "I can feel their presence so well now." He closed his eyes and let out a long breath, which chilled in the air, as if smoke were springing forth from his mouth. Set allowed himself to smile at this, permitting a very long tongue to loll out of his mouth, licking his lips in eagerness. "Do you think they will be worthy competition Brother Julius?"

"Maybe," said Julius indifferently, "I certainly hope so; the boredom is overwhelming sometimes. Perhaps we will receive someone interesting with which to play this time."

"Perhaps indeed Brother. Ah well, I must find some activity with which to amuse myself with until then I suppose." He turned around suddenly and began to walk back downstairs."

"Where are you going Set?" asked Julius nonchalantly.

"Where else, I'm going to find Raan," and with that, went off to seek his prey.


	11. Part 23: Love's Labors Lost

Part 2.3: Love's Labors Lost

A heavy snow storm was settling upon the Leaf/Sand encampment now, covering the entire clearing in thick white matting. Makeshift tents seemed little more than hills as the snow piled on top of everything in inches and inches. Sakura sat with her sensei and teammates, huddled closely around a glowing fire in the middle of the tent. The wind howled outside, rippling the sides of the tent around them, distorting the shadows the fire made as the images danced upon the sides of the tent.

Sakura stared into the yellow-orange glow of the fire, her mind wandering. They had just arrived at the base of Mt. Raiden; halfway up the mountain lay Thunder Capital, containing Hidden Cloud Village, their destination. Her thoughts wondered again to Sasuke as they were so close to him now. She stared deeper into the fire, her thoughts drifting again...

"_Begin," shouted Asuma while Chouji watched from the side, sneaking in snacks whenever he believed no one was watching. _

_Sakura and Ino charged at each other, creating seals while they were both running. "Bunshin no jutsu," they both shouted, as three illusions appeared on either side of the other, moving in perfect unison with the original. Sakura reached into her belt and pulled out three shuriken, one between each finger, and flung all three at the bunshins in front of her._

_Ino's illusions disappeared in a puff of smoke, along with Ino herself, who was replaced with a log. _

_Sakura's eyes quickly scanned the area to find any signs of her rival. She arranged herself and her illusions in a tight, triangle formation, covering herself from all sides. _

_Suddenly, a kunai came out from behind a bush, straight towards her, towards the illusion behind her. Sakura smiled to herself and jumped into the air, aiming her remaining shuriken towards the bush. Ino stood up, the shuriken pierced through her, until a log replaced itself where Ino was. _

_Sakura stood wide-eyed as she landed and surveyed the area once again. "Shintenshin no Jutsu," came a sound behind her, and then her mind went blank. _

_When she came to she was hurtling herself towards a tree. She rammed into it face first, leaving a nasty welt on her forehead. Ino laughed at this, "Looks like I just made that big forehead of yours a little bigger," she said in between fits of laughter. _

_Sakura stood back up on her feet, she was burning with anger now, despite the wind that whipped around her, she burned as if she was on fire herself. 'I'll show you just what I'm made of you pig,' she thought to herself. _

_Suddenly, Sakura began to form a variety of seals, confusing Ino as she had never seen them before. She suddenly finished and took in a deep breath._

"_Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu," she yelled, as fire streamed forth from her mouth, erupting like a volcano. _

_Ino yelled in surprise and quickly moved out of the way, the flames singeing her outfit. Now it was Sakura's turn to laugh as Ino tried desperately to put out the flames around the edge of her skirt. _

"_Excellent Sakura," yelled her sensei Asuma, laughing out loud, "you've done pretty well with that jutsu." He got up and lit a cigarette on a singed plant nearby. "Though your capacity is still too small to use it repeatedly."_

_What Asuma said hit Sakura full force as she collapsed to her knees in exhaustion. Smoke was still issuing from her mouth, causing her to cough and gag as her lungs tried desperately to take in clean air._

"_Still, nice job," continued Asuma, "why did you want to learn that jutsu anyway?"_

_Sakura's brain froze, desperate to find an excuse, but instead, she just remained silent. Ino eyed her suspiciously, while Chouji tried shoveling as much food into his mouth as possible before Ino swatted the snacks out of his hand again._

'Sasuke,' she thought, watching the flames dance in the fire. 'Its red, like his eyes,' she thought idly. Her mind drifted off into thoughts of Sasuke until a crinkling sound reverted her attention to the present.

She looked around the tent and discovered that the sound was coming from Chouji. He was eyeing the tent suspiciously, his eyes moving from left to right, his hands behind his back.

The crinkling sound was quite slow now, as Chouji was attempting to hide the sound amidst the crackling of the fire, even though the tent was quite silent. Ino raised an eyebrow at him while Asuma lit a cigarette on the fire, filling the tent with smoke as he exhaled. Ino and Chouji eyed each other suspiciously.

Suddenly, Chouji made his move, ripping the candy bar from behind his back and quickly trying to shove the entire thing into his mouth.

Ino quickly leapt into action, snatching the candy from Chouji's hand before he even had a chance to respond. She quickly threw it into the fire, and it was quickly consumed amidst the crackling wood. Chouji looked longingly into the fire as his delicious treat slowly melted before his eyes.

Chouji was standing on his feet now, yelling down at Ino with the same fury he had whenever people called him a fatass, though the term didn't apply now. "Why the HELL do you keep doing that!?"

Ino was on her feet as well now, yelling at Chouji with the same fervor. "Well, I just thought that maybe you would want to retain your new appearance. You know, you don't have to be so chubby and be the odd man out."

"I AM the odd man out," replied Chouji, his voice still thundering, "everyone in my clan is like that; I'm the only one that's skinny. If I don't eat, I won't be able to perform the family moves well. Is that what you want!?"

"Well, no," replied Ino, her tone turning very shy now as she began twirling her hair nervously, "I was just thinking that... you know, you might want to keep the way you look now for other reasons, you know?" She was blushing slightly at this, but Chouji just looked at her with a very confused expression on his face.

Sakura chuckled slightly at this; she had to admit, whenever Chouji had returned from the mission four months ago, he looked nothing like he did when he left. She never considered Chouji attractive, but without the added girth, he was quite handsome, and had been the new prize the girls chased after. Just like...him.

Suddenly, the tent flap opened, allowing the howling wind and snow outside to chill the inside of the tent, making the fire move faster. When the flap finally closed, Shikamaru was standing there covered in snow, looking very cold. He seemed to have a small, rectangular box tucked under his arm.

Asuma stood straight up and looked at Shikamaru, a concerned expression on his face. "What is it Shikamaru, is something wrong?" he asked quickly.

"Yeah," replied Shikamaru lazily, "I'm bored as hell. You'd think that since we're in the Hidden CLOUD country that there'd be some clouds to look at rather than some dark, grey mass overhead." He began shaking the snow off of him, which melted quickly as it hit the warm ground. He took the box from under his arm and brushed the snow off of it as well and held it out towards Asuma.

Asuma sighed deeply, "Why do you want to play that game again; you always win anyways?"

"I'm just trying to kill some time," replied Shikamaru, "besides; I don't have much time to play anymore. Being a Chuunin sucks, if I'm not running errands for that bossy, old woman, I'm doing some other menial chore. I just don't have the time to watch the clouds or play chess anymore."

Asuma chuckled at this, "That's part of what growing ups all about Shikamaru," he lectured, "new responsibilities and new people who depend upon you."

"Do you want to play or not?" asked Shikamaru hastily. Asuma simply shook his head 'no'. He turned to Chouji, "I don't suppose you play this game eh Chouji?"

Chouji laughed as well, "You know I don't like your old man games Shikamaru, but we'll do something when we get to the Thunder Capital. I hear the cuisines are like divine ambrosia from the heavens," he said longingly, drooling slightly while Ino looked on in disgust.

Shikamaru turned to Ino, but thought better of it and turned to Sakura, "Hey, Sakura, you're a bright girl, how's about a game or two eh?" he said with a tone of desperation in his voice.

Sakura was staring into the fire, paying little attention to Shikamaru. She finally turned and said, "Oh, Shikamaru, when did you get here?"

Shikamaru sighed heavily, allowing his head to droop past his shoulders. "Never mind." He said as he exited again, going back out into the cold.

Sakura's thoughts turned back to Sasuke; they were so close now to the Hidden Cloud that rarely did she think of anything else but Sasuke. 'I'm sure,' she thought, 'no I'm positive, if I can just talk to him, even once, I can turn him back. Surely the Leaf would welcome him back. Yes, Tsunade would understand; after all, Sasuke was the last of the Uchiha, and he was a very important part of the Leaf's history. Surely they'll let Sasuke come back, and then...'

She looked up at the roof of the tent, watching the shadows dance as she slowly fell asleep.

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Neji stared deeply into the fire as the snow storm raged around them outside. The cold weather did not matter to him as his mind was meditating over his current situation. Only half a year ago, any thought of being taught by Hiashi sickened him to the core of his being. However, things were different now, and Hiashi actually considered Neji to be the real progeny of the Hyuuga bloodline.

'I wonder what this means,' he thought, 'after all, I am a branch house member. Can I really be the prodigy of this clan? Just how much has Hiashi changed these past few months?"

Hiashi was sitting across from him on the other side of the fire, his eyes closed in deep meditation. 'I still can't trust him,' thought Neji, 'too much has happened for me to forgive him so easily, even if my father's death was not his doing.' Neji sighed deeply at the thought of his father, who had chosen death as a way of freeing himself from the Hyuuga fate.

"What's wrong," said Hiashi, his voice cold and stoic as always, but his eyes still unopened. Neji looked up at him. He was wearing Hizashi's old uniform; it was morbid seeing a man who looked identical to his father sitting across from him when he knew full well his father was long dead. He had never seen Hiashi wear a leaf forehead protector before, and seeing Hiashi like this made him feel nostalgic.

"Nothing," he replied in a voice just as cold. There was silence again between them until a nagging question made Neji speak. "How far down does our hatred for the Hidden Cloud run?"

Hiashi opened his pale eyes and stared at Neji for a few moments before answering. "Very deep," he said, "they were responsible for your father's death after all."

"I know," said Neji, his voice unwavering, although his heart panged with longing every time his father was mentioned.

There was a slight pause before Hiashi continued, "But it runs far deeper than that, on both sides."

Neji looked straight at Hiashi, intrigued by the last comment. "What do they have against us, rather than the fact that we tricked them and gave them a different body than they asked for?" asked Neji, his voice showing a hint of anger in it.

"It's not just us," replied Hiashi, not even noticing the anger in Neji's voice, "The Cloud hates all Leaf eye bloodlines." Neji raised an eyebrow at this as if to ask 'why', and Hiashi continued, "Before the fifty years war we had with them, many prominent bloodline clans existed in the Hidden Cloud, more than the Leaf I would say. When war finally broke out, these clans were the main striking force against the Leaf to counteract our own bloodlines. That combined with the Cloud's already massive military force spelled doom for us; it was near the end of the war that a plan was enacted by the Leaf to put a final stop to the Cloud's attacking forces."

Neji listened intently now; he had never heard this story told before, not even by the elders.

"All of the fighting members of the Leaf's two most prominent bloodlines, The Hyuuga and the Uchiha, were gathered together to form a single strike party. This party's job was to eliminate the Cloud's clan bloodlines. Despite the war, the clans were still divided amongst themselves and could be picked off if not accompanied by the Hidden Cloud's main forces. However, this had to be done quickly, faster than word could travel so that the Cloud would not realize its main weapons were being dealt with. My father, your grandfather, led the main strike on the bloodline villages. It was a very gruesome ordeal, to slaughter every person in these villages. However, we were very successful in our strike as no single clan could stand up to the combined forces of the Hyuuga and Uchiha. In three days time, we had eliminated 90 of all the bloodlines in the Hidden Cloud. What was left banned together in a desperate retaliatory strike. It was a horrific battle and many on both sides fell that day, but we arrived victorious, our mission complete. In ten years time, the tides of the battle turned and the Cloud wished for a cease-fire.

"So that's why they attempted to steal Hinata," said Neji.

Hiashi nodded and continued, "Even though they hated the eye bloodlines, they knew that our clan was very powerful, and deciphering the secrets of the Byakugan would reinstill a hope in the resurrection of a Cloud bloodline. However, I put a stop to that, which leads us to today." He now looked at Neji very seriously, "That is why we must stay alert on this mission, and the Cloud no doubt still harbors a vendetta against us and will probably attempt to steal our clan's secret again. Hinata will be their most likely target as you will be of no use to them, and they will not think I will be of any either. This mission was done with the utmost secrecy and only the two clans and Sarutobi knew about it, and he took the secret to his grave."

Neji looked away for a moment, as if contemplating another question, "So why are you telling me this now?"

"Because you need to understand just what our clan is risking coming here," replied Hiashi. "The Hidden Cloud will no doubt harbor deep feelings of revenge for us, and despite what out illustrious Hokage says," Neji noticed quite a bit of malice behind the last comment, "we are not safe there. So stay alert."

Neji nodded at this, realizing the importance of the mission to their clan. He stared back into the fire, his thoughts now filled with images of the upcoming exam and wondering exactly what the Hidden Cloud would try.

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Shikamaru returned to his tent, completely drenched in snow. He pulled back the flap and quickly stepped inside. His fire was dwindling down to embers now, as he was too lazy to stoke it properly, leaving the tent quite dark. He pulled the bundle out form under his arm and closed the tent flap. He shook the snow off of himself and tried to get dry next to his dieing fire.

"What are you doing here," came a voice from the back of the tent.

Shikamaru turned around suddenly and stared into the darkness. Temari of the Hidden Sand stepped forward into the dull light of the tent, the light showing only half of her face and body.

"I could ask you the same question," replied Shikamaru in an accusing tone.

"The sand encampment was getting crowded so I went to find a vacant tent. If I had known you were staying here I wouldn't have stayed," Temari replied nonchalantly.

"Well I am," said Shikamaru coolly, "so you can go now if you want."

Temari snorted indignantly and got up to leave. She stopped suddenly and looked at the bundle in Shikamaru's hand. "What's that," she asked.

"Chess set. You play?"

Temari laughed a little at this, "I'm probably the best in the village, along with the best person here."

"Really," said Shikamaru, eyeing her suspiciously, "care to back up your bark then."

Temari looked at him serenely. "Set it up," she replied.

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Raan stood outside the apartment building dressed in a much neater version of his usual attire. His black bodysuit had been replaced by a two piece black sweater and pants that clung to his body like they were a few sizes too small. He still wore his Chuunin vest and black boots, as his position required him to be on call at all times. His long ponytail had been punched up considerably and stuffed inside the back of his shirt, in a desperate attempt to look somewhat clean. He still wore the bandages from his experience yesterday as his wounds had not yet healed. As good as the Thunder medics were, Set always managed to give him quite a trouncing, and the wounds took time to heal completely. It was snowing very lightly today, enough to make the little light that shone through bounce off the snowflakes and reflect the radiance everywhere, giving the country a very brilliant shine. This was Raan's favorite weather, as it made the country almost come alive in a vibrant display of light rather than the dead and dreary look it usually had.

He was leaning against a brick wall on a street corner, having agreed to wait for Kimiko at their usual spot. He opened the gold watch attached to his vest and opened it. 'I'm early,' he thought to himself, 'first time for everything I guess.' He reached inside his front vest pocket and pulled out a cigarette and a lighter. He lit the cigarette and took in a deep drag, embracing the warm feeling it gave him throughout his body. He exhaled through his nose, shoving the smoke to the ground where it hovered around his waist before disappearing into the air. He put the cigarette to his lips and allowed it to rest there as he absentmindedly inhaled and exhaled its rich fumes.

"Those things are going to kill you ya know," came a very smooth and playful voice from beside him. A pair of long, dainty fingers came into his view to pull the cigarette from his lips and flick it into the snow, causing a small hiss to emanate from it. He exhaled the last of the smoke slowly into the air through his mouth as it whipped back around him. He casually looked to his right and replied, "The same could be said about you."

Kimiko was standing next to him, looking up at him with a disapproving gaze. She looked like something from a dream that had somehow wondered into reality. She wore a dark, ocean blue dress that almost complemented her eyes perfectly. She wore a light zippered overcoat that covered her arms and went down to her waist. Her hair was allowed to flow down her back as it softly rippled with the wind passing through it. She wore very elegant, high-heeled shoes, despite the snow outside, 'She does love to keep up her appearance, despite what conditions there might be,' thought Raan. Even in such light garments she seemed unfazed by the cold, as she slowly shook her head in a critical manner.

"You know, what wouldn't kill you," she said sardonically, "dressing up once in a while. You are a respected member of the community after all," she continued as she began to attack his appearance, straightening up his coat and brushing the snow from his hair, pulling out his long ponytail in the process. Kimiko rolled her eyes at this, "I swear, I never know why from behind you want to look like more of a girl than me."

Raan merely shrugged at this. 'She's teasing me,' he thought, 'means she's in a good mood.' He smiled at her and Kimiko returned the gesture. Even though she was considerably shorter than him, it was obvious for anyone to see who the dominant one was in the relationship. She took hold of his hand and placed his arm behind her back, as they walked on towards the restaurant.

They walked on in silence, merely enjoying each others company until Raan decided to make idle conversation, "So how was your mission?" he asked.

"Oh you know," she said in a bored tone, "basic ANBU stuff, just an espionage mission this time over in the surrounding villages. The Raikage seems really paranoid about that area as of late." She turned her head up to look at him, "How about you, you do anything exciting since I've been away?"

Raan's mind froze for a moment; he didn't want her to know exactly what had happened just yesterday. 'That'll only worry her,' he thought. "Oh, nothing really," he added hastily.

Kimiko raised an eyebrow at him. "Honest, nothing out of the ordinary," Raan said quickly, "just another day in the life of your typical peacekeeper."

"Right," said Kimiko eyeing him suspiciously.

Raan knew she was not satisfied with this answer, but thankfully she dropped the subject and continued on in silence. It was another few minutes before Raan again made the mistake to break the quiet between them, "Aren't you cold," he asked.

She looked up at him, a devious smile on her face. "No," she said, "I mean after all, I've got you," she said, as she quickly lifted up his shirt and stuck an icy hand on his back.

The reaction was instant as Raan recoiled his back from the cold, laughing out loud, "Don't do that," he said jokingly. He looked down at her, expecting to see the same playful grin on her face but instead only saw a look of horror. 'Oh no,' he thought.

Kimiko quickly lifted up what shirt she could that was not under the vest to find the bandages, cuts, and abrasions Raan had done his best to hide earlier in the day.

Raan looked away nervously. 'She must not have seen the extent of the damage in the hospital,' he thought, 'I was pretty well covered.'

She looked up at him, her face full of concern, "What happened to you?" she asked, her voice quaking.

Raan ran through his brain quickly for an answer, but when he could not come up with anything plausible, stuck with the same story he had told the nurse earlier on. "I fell," he replied, "...from a window," he added far too quickly.

Kimiko looked visibly angry now, "You 'fell'? Yeah right Raan, what really happened to you?" she asked impatiently. Her eyes, which normally felt very comforting to look at, were staring daggers into him.

"That is what happened," he replied, rubbing his neck nervously.

"Any idiot can tell when you're lieing Raan," Kimiko said, her patience wearing thing, "you never were any good at it."

Raan quickly removed his hand from his neck, and laid it back down to his side. He refused to look at Kimiko, her gaze piercing him down to his soul. He wanted to tell her about Set and Julius, about how the Raikage had chosen him to play keeper to the malicious bastards. He wanted to spill his guts then and there, anything so that someone else would know, and he wouldn't have to bear the burden alone.

'But what then,' he thought, 'The Raikage would look upon my actions as treason, but what's worse, Set and Julius want to remain in secret. There's no telling what they'll do if I told someone, anyone about them. For her sake if no one else's, I have to bear this burden alone. He sighed deeply, 'I just fell,' he said.

Kimiko shook with fury. She was yelling now, loud enough so that passers by stopped and stared at them, "You know Raan, it wouldn't hurt to just open up once in a while! You're not that tough, and it doesn't hurt to depend on people! But you know what, since you're so dead set on being alone on this, fine I won't bother you!" and with that stormed off in the other direction.

Raan barely had time to realize the situation before he noticed Kimiko storming off. "WAIT!" he yelled, and he chased after her. His movements were still too stiff and his body shuddered under the pain as he collapsed, watching her move farther away from him until she was gone.

Raan buried his face in the snow, trying to dull the overwhelming emotions he was feeling. He slowly made it to his feet, and chased after her, wincing with every step. "Damn Set," he said under his breath as his legs ached under the strain of running, "Damn Julius." His legs finally gave out, and he clawed his way to a nearby alley, out of sight. He leaned up against the wall and waited for his legs to recover. The pain was overwhelming, every part of his body, every emotion he felt, hurt more than any single moment he had ever experienced.

"Oh, now that was entertaining," came a dark, laughing voice above him.

Raan looked up to see Set looking down from the roof above him. He quickly jumped from wall to wall and scaled down to land in front of Raan with a dull thud. Raan looked up at him. Raan's first reaction to ever seeing Set was that he was like no shinobi he had ever seen before. Set was quite tall for his age, around 5 feet 10 inches tall at only fourteen years old. He wore a very odd looking blood, red jumpsuit. The suit itself conformed perfectly to his body, which was quite muscular, without ever stretching, and to the look, looked almost like a suit of scaly armor rather than any shinobi suit. On his hands he wore gloves of a matching material that only left his very long fingers exposed. His boots were dark red as well, with a metallic shine in the front and on the toe of the boot. A black metal covered his shoulders, and snaked in a very thin line across his abdomen, around his sides, and finally ending in a loop on his back. It was very ornate and obviously custom made. Set's face is what scared Raan more than anything. If he had never met Set in his life, he might consider him handsome, but he knew the true demon that he was. Set's face was very chiseled and thin, showing a strong chin and cheekbones. His nose was had a slight curve to it and was turned slightly upward, giving him an air of dignity about him. His hair was streaked black and red, and came to form a 'W' in the back of his head that never moved as if it was part of his body.

He looked down at Raan, a sardonic smile plastered across his face in amusement, revealing two rows of very sharp teeth. "You never cease to amuse me swine," he added, his eyes staring a hole straight through Raan.

Even though fear was pumping through his body, Raan was far too angry to care about Set's insults. He wanted to hurt him, somehow; anything that would make him feel his pain. But inside, his mind was sending too many alerts to his body for him to act on his emotions. All he could do was scowl at Set, while he attempted to block out the overwhelming ache that was enveloping him.

"Surely, you don't blame me for your tragedy?" said Set. Raan's eyes betrayed his emotions, and Set placed his hand on his chest in mock surprise, "Ah, I'm aghast. To think you would judge me so shoddily after all we've been through together, I truly am hurt," he added with sarcastically.

Set looked beyond Raan, to the entrance to the alley. "She really is quite beautiful you know," he said, his voice with a sense of longing in it, "perhaps I could keep her company while you recuperate?"

Raan lunged at him with what little strength he had in him, only succeeding to hurt himself further. He grabbed at Set's ankle, only for Set to crush his hand with the heel of his boot. Raan almost screamed in pain but bit his tongue so hard no sound emerged from him.

Set laughed horribly at Raan's attempt to attack him. "My, aren't we feeling impudent today," said Set, still chuckling at Raan's predicament. "I'm beginning to think that you need another lesson in humility." He approached Raan and delivered a hard kick to his chest, forcing Raan to spurt up blood that landed in an arc on Set's clothes. Set observed Raan's plight nonchalantly, forcing his foot deeper into Raan's chest.

"Stop it Set," said a very cool voice from above them, "You're going to kill him if you go any farther." Julius jumped straight down from the roofs above and landed with barely a sound, only a scattering of dust marked his appearance.

Raan looked lazily over at Julius; he was a stark contrast to Set. He was dressed in a loose fitting white robe with a gold trim. His long pants went down past his ankles to over lap two large white boots under them. The whole ensemble gave him a rather skinny appearance. His face was not nearly as cut as Set's; he had a very strong chin though, but the rest of his face was without any blemish, mark, or bone protruding on it. He looked just as old as Set, even though Raan was told he was one year younger. However, he was two inches shorter than set as well, standing at 5'8 at thirteen years of age. His pale-green eyes were always half-closed, giving him a rather lazy expression. His mouth was always in a tight frown, as he was constantly emotionless. His hair was streaked white and black, neck length and cascaded down in a middle part on his head

"Why?" asked Set, still increasing the pressure on Raan, "You hate this dog just as much as I do."

"True," replied Julius, "but the Raikage has summoned us. He has a mission that must be done tonight."

Set relinquished his hold on Raan and turned to Julius, "Like the ones before?" he asked.

Julius simply nodded, eliciting a hyena laugh from Set. "Good," he said.

"I'll meet you there," said Julius, "but don't kill this one, the Raikage needs him further." Julius bounded away in the same direction he came in.

Set almost followed, but then turned around suddenly to face Raan again, "Ah yes," he said, "I almost forgot about that talk you wanted to have earlier. What did you want to talk about anyway?"

Raan forced himself to speak, even though every breath he took felt like knives were stabbing his insides. "I... don't want you to kill anyone...in the village at least...until the Chuunin exam is over."

Set glared at him maliciously, "I will do as I damn well please dog. If I feel like ripping that saucy bitch of yours head off and placing it on your doorstep I will do just that. However, since I am going to be getting an opportunity to create an all new masterpiece with this upcoming mission, I will respect your wishes. But the Chuunin exam, oh that will be a most assured work of art," he added slowly, letting each word sink into Raan.

And with those parting words, bounded off to join his brother.

A/N: Sorry this took a little longer than usual; I've got stuff that needs doing. I'll still update frequently though, at least four or five times a week as these things are usually pretty fun and therefore easy to write.


	12. Part 24: The Day of Reckoning

Part 2.4: The Day of Reckoning

Tsunade slept peacefully in her tent, lying on top of a finely made bed that took up most of the room in her oversized tent. 'Being Hokage has its advantages,' she had thought before drifting to sleep. The snowstorm had stopped and turned into a slight drizzle that pitter pattered on top of her tent. It was thundering slightly outside, but it was quite a distance away; Tsunade stirred in her sleep as the sound grew fainter in the opposite direction of their encampment.

Her tent flap was quietly pulled open and closed again, only allowing for a slight burst of cold to enter the room. However, this was enough to wake Tsunade, whose eyes were alert and open now. She heard the stranger move towards her bed quietly; the darkness around her was too thick to make anything out of the drifting shape.

Suddenly, she sprung up, still covered by her sheets, and lit a candle quickly, illuminating the room, a kunai in her hand.

Kakashi stood before her, looking down with a serious expression on his face.

"Kakashi?" she said, wondering what the Jounin was doing during this hour. She sat up to rub the sleep from her eyes, allowing the sheets only droop down slightly before she quickly brought them back up to her chest. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she asked.

"We have to leave now," he said, his tone very serious.

Tsunade stared at him in shock. She still felt fuzzy having been woken up in mid-slumber. "What," she said groggily, "Why, what are you talking about?"

"The Sound," Kakashi continued, "have already scaled the mountain and are currently making their way to Thunder Capital."

Tsunade stood bolt upright, still clutching the sheets to her chest. "You mean the entire Sound, Orochimaru, and Sasuke, all of them?"

Kakashi nodded, "Baki and I were doing some late night recon work when we saw them. At the very least now we're going to be a few hours behind them. Those few hours could be spent with Orochimaru talking with the Raikage. If we're going to make any kind of an appearance, we've got to move now."

Tsunade nodded in agreement. "Alright, wake everyone up and get ready to scale the mountain. There should be a path up to Thunder Capital where we're at right now. If we follow that, we should hit some villages along the way. If necessary, we'll stop there to rest, but if we keep up the mountain at a steady pace, we should make it up there by daybreak."

Kakashi nodded in silent agreement and then left to wake the encampment. Tsunade slowly crawled out of bed and dressed. She looked in the mirror; she had a pretty bad case of bed-head but nothing other than that.

'Orochimaru,' she thought, 'what's he planning anyway. Ah well, I guess I'll find out soon enough. Might as well get ready, they're going to be some pretty cranky people out there.'

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Naruto opened his mouth wide, yawning loudly as he was kicked awake by his sensei Gai. "What are you doing," he said sleepily, "What's going on?"

"We're getting ready to move Naruto," said Gai enthusiastically, "arise from your most youthfully refreshing slumber and get ready to arrive towards destiny," ending his speech with a usual good guy pose.

"Yes Gai-Sensei," came a voice behind Naruto. He looked up to see Lee ready for action, and saluting Gai like he under the command of a famous general.

"Now quickly my slumbering students, we must prepare the camp for movement, Lee," he said, as he began pointing to his students individually and barking orders, "collect any rations that we may store, for the trip up the mountain will be scarce of food."

"Yes Gai-Sensei," replied Lee as he bounded out of the tent and made his way around the encampment.

"TenTen," continued Gai, still in a very enthused state, "you will assist Lee in his preparations for the storing of rations." TenTen slowly crawled out the tent flap, finally making it to her feet on the outside.

"And finally Naruto," continued Gai. He looked down to find Naruto had fallen asleep yet again, snoring loudly. "Gaaah YOU FOOL!" shouted Gai as he delivered a swift kick to Naruto's behind, knocking him out of the tent.

Naruto landed face first in a pile of snow, with the butt of his orange jumpsuit containing a large imprint of Gai's foot. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING YOU THICKBROWED BASTARD!?" screamed Naruto.

Gai shot a toothy grin at Naruto, "Why, I'm trying to preserve your most excellent youth by making sure you get up early and train my young student," replied Gai, "Now, go and fetch firewood for the trip, for trees are scarce on the mountains.

Naruto seethed with rage but complied, and went stamping off into the forest.

"Oh, wait a second Naruto," called Gai. Naruto quickly turned around and scowled at Gai.

"What do you want now?" he said scornfully.

"Through my most brilliant observations," said Gai, "I have come upon several conclusions. One, my most dazzling training regimes have no doubt made you stronger that you possibly believed," to which Naruto gave an indignant snort. "Secondly," continued Gai, as if he never noticed Naruto, "I have been asked by the most honorably perverted Jiraiya-sama to allow you to undergo a special type of training coupled with my already brilliant training."

This last part intrigued Naruto, as the last time he trained with the perverted hermit, he learned his most powerful move.

"You see Naruto," continued Gai, "while my amazing teaching methods have no doubt had a profound effect on you, your will to learn new jutsus seems to be very great. Therefore, I am allowing Jiraiya-sama to teach you a new jutsu for use in the upcoming Chuunin exam," Naruto's eyes lit up, "However, I am still your sensei, and you will also do the training regimes I have most brilliantly planned for you."

Naruto looked ecstatic. 'I'm finally going to do some serious training,' he thought, 'No doubt the perverted hermit has looked upon me as a star pupil.'

Naruto pumped his fist into the air and began to leap about with excitement. Gai looked at him for a moment and then continued, "Naruto, there is something I need to talk to you about though," he said, his tone very solemn.

Naruto turned and stared at his sensei, his eyes still shining with the excitement of learning a new jutsu.

Gai, leaned on one knee, so that he was almost eye-level with Naruto, "The point I've been trying to beautifully make these past two weeks is that training is not about learning jutsus or doing special techniques. Training is everywhere, and it is only by realizing this that we can become stronger," said Gai, his tone very serious. "You see Naruto, though you may learn many amazing jutsus or skills, if you don't balance that out with some of that which you believe to be 'simpler' forms of training, you won't achieve your true potential. Remember, there is a large difference between a powerful ninja and a good ninja, do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever Gai-sensei," replied Naruto, obviously not taking in a word of what Gai said.

Gai sighed, "Never mind Naruto," he said, "just get done with your chores for now."

Naruto bounded off as Gai watched him go. 'I will get my lessons through to you Naruto,' he thought, 'after all; I am Gai, the incredible azure beast who never gives up. I just hope you realize what I'm saying before its too late.'

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Night had descended upon the quiet village of Daibuken; the clouds obscured any light in the sky as twilight had enveloped the village in a gentle darkness. Snow was slowly falling upon the houses and streets there, covering the entire town in a few inches of white that heavily contrasted the dim sky. Most of the people were asleep, the windows and doors locked to maintain the warmth within the shabby abodes. The village was poor, as wood was splintered in parts, well molded in others having taken the abuse of many previous winters. Snow was drifting down in piles from their rooftops, hitting the snow and adding to it.

A little girl was tossing and turning in her sleep until nature called and she was forced to leave her bed. She quickly put on a pair of slippers and quietly left her door. She moved quickly down the hall, only pausing to peek insider her parent's bedroom. She smiled at them as they slept soundly next to each other, her father's snoring failing to awake her mother.

'Father was so proud of himself today,' she thought. Her father was the high councilor of the village and handled relations with the Raikage himself. She had heard her father tell grand stories of how he had stood up to that 'stupid bastard' which elicited a swat to the head form her mother for using improper language. Her father had demanded either Cloud protection or the right to arm themselves to protect their village. Mother was bursting with pride for father; in fact the whole village was impressed with how he stood up to the Raikage. She beamed with pride as well, before she was reminded of just exactly why she had gotten up.

She opened the door to the house and stepped outside, when a blast of frigid air hit her, causing her little body to shake. She made her journey to the outhouse quick and hastily returned to the house.

She stopped suddenly and looked towards the western most path. This road led to Thunder Capital and the Hidden Cloud Village. She squinted her eyes, thinking that she saw shadows in the distance. However, another blast of cold wind, forced her to give up her search and return to her home. She slammed the door behind her, causing snow to fall from the roof of the house. She quickly returned to her warm bed and drifted back into sleep.

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"Is this it," asked Set excitedly. Julius nodded slightly, answering his brother's question.

Julius stared at his brother; had they not been wearing masks, he knew he would have seen Set's tongue loll slowly out of his mouth. He always did that when he was 'anxious'. They slowly stepped farther into the village, passing under the sign above them confirming their target, Daibuken. The snow crunched under their boots, and Julius wondered if anyone had heard them approach. The village seemed lifeless as they approached, as the wind beating the snow across the ground was the only sound heard throughout the entire village.

"The whole place looks dead," said Julius emotionless.

Set grinned at him, "Ironic choice of words brother," he said with a chuckle.

Julius did not respond, but looked around. The snow bore the signs of earlier activity, but it appeared that no fresh tracks had been made for a few hours. He stared at his brother through the slits in his mask. Set nodded and pointed to the right side of the village. Julius nodded in agreement and pointed to the left.

They aligned themselves back to back, each to his side. Julius closed his eyes in concentration while Set chuckled slightly in excitement. Suddenly, they sprinted off in their respective directions and began the operation.

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The climb up Mount Raiden was tough, despite the fact that a path winded up the mountain for them. The trail was very foggy as it actually spiraled through the clouds in the sky. The trail itself was very narrow, with no rails or flags to point their way up the mountain. Everything was covered with a thick, white mist through which they could barely see anything.

'So, this is why this village is called 'Hidden Cloud',' thought Shikamaru as he and the group made their way up the mountain. They had been climbing for a few hours, but Shikamaru had lost all sense of time while in this area. 'Probably around 4 a.m.,' he thought, 'I should be asleep, at home, watching the real clouds move about in the sky, or playing chess with Asuma.'

The thought of chess made his brain recollect last night. He had the chess set placed under his arm, wrapped in a tight blanket to avoid damage. He reminisced about what was, he had to admit, a very good game...

"_Check," said Temari._

_Shikamaru observed the board, his brow furrowed in concentration. He was losing. He knew it, she knew it, they both knew it. He looked up at Temari; she had a very mischievous grin on her face. 'She's planning something,' thought Shikamaru, 'but what?' _

_He looked down at the board. He had highly underestimated how good Temari was at this game when they first started playing. Now, he was on the ropes, and he was running out of strategies. 'Well,' he thought, 'better assume the position._

_Shikamaru took his hands and placed all of the fingers together, tip to tip, outwards, forming a slight circle facing Temari._

"_That thing again," laughed Temari, "it won't help you loser."_

'_Her bishop and knight are attacking my flank...'_

"_Wow, you really like to stall don't you boy?"_

'..._if I can move my knight out, no that won't do, but then again...'_

"_Jeez, you know I have better things to do than watch you filibuster like some pathetic loser who won't accept he's lost."_

'..._that's it, I've got it.'_

_He opened his eyes again, and moved a piece, blocking Temari's check and placing her on the defensive. Shikamaru allowed himself to laugh sarcastically at this, as Temari, gasped slightly in surprise._

_Suddenly, he heard one of the sensei's demanding everyone to get ready to leave. Shikamaru looked out towards the flap and realized it was now night. 'I've been playing for that long,' he thought. He looked back into the tent, watching Temari's puzzled expression as she pondered over her next move._

"_Guess we'll have to wait for you to lose," said Shikamaru._

"_We'll see about that boy," replied Temari, "and don't think you can move any of the pieces on me, I've already memorized the layout." She then strode off to rejoin her group._

_Shikamaru laughed softly, replacing the chess pieces in their appropriate slots. 'Its not like she'll win anyway,' he thought, 'after all, a man cannot lose to a woman.'_

He looked behind him. Even with the thick fog, he could still see Temari behind him. He shot her a taunting grin, wondering if she could see it or not. Evidently she did, because now she was being scolded by Baki for making rude gestures to their comrades.

Shikamaru smiled and continued on, looking deep into the fog for any sign of stopping.

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She awoke suddenly just when she had drifted back into sleep. The first sound she had heard was a loud crash followed by a scream that pierced through the night sky like a sharp knife. This was quickly followed by a low gurgling sound as something landed with a thump from the direction of their front doorstep. Suddenly, it seemed the entire town was alive again as screams came from every direction. She quickly got out of bed and headed for her parent's bedroom. They weren't there, it looked like they moved quickly as the bed itself was unmade and the sheets and pillows were thrown around the bedroom.

She looked towards the hallway. Her mother was standing there, still dressed in her evening wear. She had a terrified look on her face and was crying fervently.

"Come here Megumi," she said. Megumi quickly went towards her mother and was embraced very tightly, her mother quickly picking her up and taking her to the family room. All of the candles in the house were lit, and any lights they had were also on though electricity was scarce. The light illuminated the room well, throwing the light inside out onto the snow from the window to the left of the main door, which was open. The large, ornate rug that usual lay in the center of the room had been hastily thrown aside showing a trapdoor leading to the cellar of the house. She placed her beside the rug; her face was wet with both sweat and tears. Her eyes seemed to be shifting from her, to the open door in front of them.

Megumi's mother suddenly grabbed her tightly by the shoulders, making Megumi wince slightly. "Now," she said, her tone very shaky, "I want you to stay right here until Daddy and I get back okay," she said, trying her best to sound calm.

Megumi was confused but nodded in understanding at her mother's order. Her mother then gave her a brief hug before hurrying off into the kitchen. She watched her mother depart into the other room, the crashing of pots, pans, and utensils hitting the floor as she went.

Megumi looked perplexed. 'What is mommy doing" she thought, "and where's daddy?" She looked towards the open door.

It was still pitch black outside, but the movement of people through the snow and the horrified screaming of the villagers showed that there was much happening outside. She looked towards her porch. The light had cascaded down onto her neighbor, Mr. Takeyama; he was lying down in the snow, but there was something odd about him. It looked like his head had been put on backwards, and there was something red coming from his nose and ears. It seemed to surround his body as well, and his eyes seemed to be looking straight at her. She waved slightly at him, but got no response.

Her mother came back into the room, a twelve inch carving knife in her hands. She looked straight at her daughter and said, "Remember, don't leave that spot until mommy and daddy get back," her voice was even shakier than before and she seemed quite frightened.

Megumi nodded again before her mother raced out the door. Megumi stood up and went to the window nearby, wanting to see where her mother had gone.

Outside the window, pandemonium reigned. She watched as the villagers were scattering across the town, running in every direction, while many lay down on the street, unmoving. Some were moving in the direction of the Thunder Capitol, running through the snow as fast as they could. However, it seemed that whenever people just approached the gate, they fell down, and didn't get up again. Some had red stuff similar to what Mr. Takeyama shoot out of them suddenly, some from their necks, some from stumps that looked like part of their arms. Everyone fell down and didn't get up again.

Then, a big man she recognized as the village blacksmith Mr. Kegitso approached the gate, a large Hammer in his hands. It looked like he was staring into the darkness at the gate, until suddenly the darkness moved. Mr. Kegitso swung his hammer at the shadow, but it appeared to stop mid swing. All of a sudden, a hand appeared to burst out from Mr. Kegitso's back. Mr. Kegitso moved strangely, convulsing in an odd manner, as the red stuff surrounded him, and he stopped moving.

'Are they playing some kind of game,' thought Megumi. She looked to the other side of the village to see some people trying to escape to the route down the mountain. She saw a blur out of the corner of her eye as she caught a slight glimpse of the shadow. It didn't appear to be a shadow at all, but was dressed completely in white, with a weird looking face that bobbed slightly as it moved. Suddenly, an elderly woman appeared to have many pointed stars sticking out of her back; she then collapsed on the floor like many of the others. Megumi recognized the stars, 'Those are ninja things,' she thought, 'are all the adults playing ninja now?'

Another group came into her eye. It looked like a large group of about ten men and woman carrying everything from large swords to pitchforks to pieces of wood.

"He's in this one," shouted one of the men in the group, pointing to a house right across from her own. The door was open and it appeared candles had been lit in the windows, casting a shadow upon the ground. All of them rushed into the house only for the door to be quickly shut behind them. Megumi didn't understand what was happening next, but only heard the voices of the people inside.

"There he is, said one voice," as the others shouted in unison. She heard them all yell, until a familiar gurgling sound came loudly from inside the building. She heard sounds that were unfamiliar to her, as loud cracking, ripping, and wet piercing sounds were heard from inside. She then heard a tremendous sound that chilled her to the core; it was like a cross between a snarl and a laugh, which was emanating from inside the building.

Abruptly, the door opened, and one of the men that had so quickly rushed inside, now rushed outside of the door, covered in the red stuff and holding a spot where she was sure an arm used to be. Something quickly grabbed at his legs, knocking him on his stomach. He was clawing at the snow with his one arm, screaming for help, his eyes wide with fear, his voice cracking under the strain of yelling. He continued yelling until he was dragged back into the house out of her sight. At the exact same time, his yelling stopped and a large splotch appeared on the window, blocking out the light from the candles.

The village had grown surprisingly quiet now. She looked around but saw most of the villagers lying down in the snow. 'They're going to get awfully cold like that,' she thought. She looked back up to the house. A figure of a man was standing there now. His face was similar to the shadow she had seen earlier, but he was covered in red, not white. He was looking down at the ground, seemingly surveying it.

His head quickly snapped upwards. Megumi could see his eyes against the light in the door. They were a very dark red, with strange black, crisscrossing lines across them, and they were looking straight at her. She met them, and a cold fear ran straight through her body.

She looked to her right as the door to her house quickly slammed shut. Her father and mother were standing there, both looking horribly frightened. His father placed a beam across the door, barring anyone from entering. Both of her parents then barricaded the lone window and door with everything they could. Her mother than grabbed her by the arm and opened up the trapdoor that led to the cellar.

"Okay honey," she said very softly, "I want you to stay down here until Mommy and Daddy say its okay for you to come out okay?"

Her father suddenly appeared wielding a very large samurai sword she remembered was a family heirloom.

Megumi nodded again, she was shaking slightly now. The sight of her parents in such distress scared her, but she followed her mother's orders and went down the cellar steps, into the back of the room. It was musty down here, and the earth was not paved with snow, but was quite cold none the less. It was still a small space, as the earth had covered up most of the area, leaving very little for movement. She heard the trapdoor slam behind her, expecting to see her parents behind her but saw nothing. She was completely alone, as the light that penetrated through the floorboards above was quickly shunted off in the spot where the trapdoor was. Her parents must have replaced the rug back on the spot.

She heard her mother speak, her tone frantic once again, "What the hell is going on Sai, what is all this?"

"It's the Raikage's answer," her father's deep voice responded, sounding just as shaky and frightened. "Dammit, why did I have to be so stubborn? I shouldn't have gone and complained to them, not after what happened to the other village."

Suddenly, the sound of cracking wood could be heard as someone seemed to be hitting the door very hard.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," came a very malicious voice that was muffled slightly by the door.

The wood that once held the door gave way, with smashed beams blocking out yet more light from the floorboards. Megumi heard her father scream what seemed like a war cry as he heard his footsteps quickly cross over to the door. Her father's voice was quickly replaced by a wet piercing noise follow by the gurgling sound she had heard earlier. A demented laugh filled the house, as the red stuff seeped through the floorboards and stained the dirt below a dark brown. She heard a hard thump from above, and yet more of her precious light was blocked out.

'What's going on,' she thought, 'this isn't funny. I'm scared, I'm scared.' Tears were beginning to well in her eyes, but she remained silent. Fear was gripping her now; her veins ran ice cold as the emotion shot through her body.

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Set looked down at the eviscerated man on the floor before him, approving his own handiwork. He shot his head up, admiring the woman in front of him.

'Another young one,' he thought to himself. He slowly clutched the mask on his face and pulled it off with one hand. He licked his lips eagerly, his long tongue, tracing a complete circle around his mouth.

The woman backed against the wall, a large knife held in her shaking hands. Set's lips curled as he smiled, revealing his jagged teeth. He suddenly stood up straight and walked slowly towards the woman, still holding the mask in his hand. His arms were positioned in an expectant embrace, seemingly ready to hug the woman.

She rushed at him, thrusting the knife towards his chest. He caught her by the wrist and squeezed hard, causing her to drop it in pain. He relinquished his grip, and she went back against the wall again, her eyes wide with fear. It was this moment that Set enjoyed most, watching the spirit break slowly before his eyes; the helplessness overwhelming them. 'Its like poetry in motion,' he thought to himself.

He reached down and quickly grabbed her ankle, pulling her on to her back. He placed his foot underneath the sword the man had attacked him with earlier and brought it up within his reach. He stood above her, his legs crossed in a 'V' over her. She was shaking horribly now, her arms crossed over her body in a defensive position. He placed his mask on the floor, and bent his knees so that he was on her level. He grabbed her by the throat, cutting off her whimpering. She struggled in vain to throw him off of her, but he stayed in his position. He brought the sword up with his other hand, the point aiming at the woman below him.

Her eyes grew even wider as she struggled even more to throw Set off of her. She tried to scream, but the pressure of his hand was too much and she only succeeded in making a slight gurgling noise.

"A true masterpiece," said Set, before he plunged the sword through the woman's chest.

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The sword came through the floorboards, missing Megumi by mere inches. She shook violently, backing quickly away from the blade. She heard her mother's body convulse against the floor, swishing and swaying the light that broke through until finally she stopped. The red liquid was slowly making its way down the edge of the blade before slowing dripping down the tip, forming a small pool beneath it.

It was too much for her to bear, and she began whimpering.

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Set replaced his mask on his face and went towards the door. He suddenly heard a sound coming from beneath the floor of the house, and smelt a foul odor coming from beneath as well. He slowly trotted over to where the woman laid, the sword pierced through her. He knelt down, looking through the cracks in the floorboards.

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Megumi could see the man trying to look down at her. She hid in a corner and attempted to make herself as small as possible against the ground. Suddenly, a fist came through to the ground beneath, and she screamed openly. It grabbed at open air, where she had been seconds previously.

"I know you're down there," said the voice again, "There's no use hiding girl, you might as well make it easier on yourself."

She backed farther away from the hand, until she hit a mound of earth and could go no further. The hand backed away from the hole, only to make a new one closer to her position. He was in reach now, grasping for her, his hands only centimeters from her face. She could feel the heat coming off of his hand, and see what the red liquid on them.

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"Set!" said Julius in a distressed tone, "Come on we've got to go now!"

"I'm a little busy brother," he said, continuing to paw at thin air.

Julius pulled Set violently away from the hole and turned him around to face him. "We've got to leave NOW!" he said, even more distraught than his last sentence.

Set eyed him oddly, but before he could ask the question Julius spurted out, "The Cloud ANBU are coming, 3 of them."

"What?" replied Set, his tone similar to his brother's now, "but the Raikage said that we would have all night on this one."

"I realize that," replied Julius, "but I know what I saw, we have to go now!" He pulled at his brother's wrist.

Set was furious, suddenly he pulled his wrist from his brother's, "Lets just kill those bastards and be done with it," he said, his voice filled with rage.

"ANBU are off limits, you know that. Besides, if we get caught and one escapes we lose everything we've worked so hard for," replied Julius.

Set seemed to be contemplating the decision and then reluctantly nodded at his brother. "Fine," he said. He quickly pulled two explosive notes from his belt and placed them on the walls of the house. "But it's such a waste," he said before quickly exiting the house and the village with his brother.

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Megumi heard their footsteps quickly leave the floor. She was still shuddering, staring at the hole which seconds before had held an arm that was threatening to kill her. She breathed in small hiccups, as she cried silently, still not moving from her position. Suddenly, a large explosion came just in front of her. She covered her ears to dampen the sound and screamed as loud as she could...

A/N: A few of you have pointed out the thing about Chouji being skinny. I think its funny personally, but you raise a good point. I touched on it a little in what Chouji says, but I guess I should have extrapalated on it. I'll try better to make what I'm trying to say clearer. Criticism is always welcome so thanks for the review, to everyone who reviewed it. To anyone who read it, you're cool too.


	13. Part 25: Discovery

Part 2.5: Discovery

The trail up to Thunder Capitol was widening out now, and the thick white clouds that obscured it were beginning to grow less opaque as they went on. Naruto stared blankly into the clouds as he carried a large bag of firewood on his back, scowling at Gai every step he took. However, Gai's attention was on the road, and he wore an expression of concern on his face as they grew closer to their destination. Even Lee had noticed Gai's unusually quiet demeanor.

"What's wrong Gai-Sensei," asked Lee, "you're unusually quiet for this being such a momentous journey."

At the sound of Lee's voice, Gai regained his usual attitude, "Yes Lee," he said, "this is a most momentous journey we are undertaking. In it you will no doubt prove your youthful existence to everyone, as the judges of this exam will most surely see the brilliant aura that I have grown in each of you," to which Gai began yelling in a triumphant manner, pumping his fists into the air, and ending it all with a whooping-crane pose complete with ocean background.

Naruto tried to distance himself from Gai, but only succeeded in bumping into Lee, who was wide-eyed with admiration towards his 'most extraordinary sensei'.

Gai was silent for a moment, "You guys keep going on ahead, I've got to, uh, check for a headcount so that no student will not be left behind from the glorious exam that awaits our most beautiful and brilliant village," said Gai. He quickly went into the back of the party and disappeared into the mist.

"Gai-sensei certainly is acting odd," said Naruto, "He's usually more excited about these things then that."

"No doubt Gai-sensei's mind is distracted," lectured Lee, "over the many possible training regiments he has in store for us when we reach the Hidden Cloud."

Naruto didn't answer; his mind drifted over to what Gai had said earlier. 'So,' he thought, 'I wonder what I'm going to be doing with the perverted hermit. No doubt some cool and powerful jutsu that will guarantee me victory.'

Naruto laughed to himself at the thought, continuing on towards Thunder Capitol.

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Gai continued on towards the back of the caravan, searching desperately for someone or something. 'Where is he,' he thought. He continued looking, having to give some most brilliant apologies as he bumped into a few of the sand genin.

Kakashi was still amongst some of the genin that were lagging behind the rest. Gai walked next to Kakashi and started the conversation.

"So," he began, "how does it feel having one of your former pupils under the intense training regiments of the great Gai?"

Kakashi responded, but continued to look forward, "Yeah yeah," he said uncaringly, "you're one amazing teacher."

"Such a cool response," replied Gai, "just like my eternal rival."

Kakashi looked up towards the sky, "I put Naruto with you not only because there was an opening but because I thought he'd be enthused about your hard training methods."

"Well," replied Gai, his tone serious again, "he did seem enthusiastic at first. He worked very hard at everything we did, a quality I admire in people."

Gai looked towards the ground and sighed, "But ever since the meeting with Tsunade," he continued, "he just seems more annoyed with the training I give him rather than enthusiastic about it. It bothers me terribly when I'm not bringing out the best in people."

Kakashi looked over towards Gai, "Well," he continued, "he knows that meeting Sasuke is inevitable, and he blames himself for not being strong enough to bring him back. He probably figures that by learning some really powerful or complicated jutsus or techniques he can become Sasuke's equal."

"I know," said Gai solemnly, "still, his being so unfocused on my lessons disturbs me. He is a very strong ninja and will no doubt grow to be very powerful. I just wonder if he realizes that being a ninja is not about becoming the most powerful. Power and strength can be two different things sometimes."

They were slowly lagging behind the other nin, and the distance between them and the group was growing. "Oh," said Kakashi in surprise, "is the great azure beast giving up?"

Suddenly, Gai's eyes became fire, his stance strong, and his voice powerful. "The great azure beast never gives up. I am Gai! I will most assuredly fulfill the wishes of all my pupils and make their dreams a reality. I will ensure that TenTen becomes as brilliant as the woman Tsunade she admires so much; I will ensure most undoubtedly that Naruto will become a great Hokage and will be renowned throughout the village; and Lee," he paused before going back into his spiel, "Lee will become an amazing ninja that the village, nay the whole world will tell stories about for generations; a most amazing and brilliant ninja who surpassed the great azure beast by leaps and bounds. I promise," finally ending his monologue with his usual good guy pose.

Kakashi smiled under his mask, 'I was right to choose him,' he thought, 'he may be eccentric, but at least he's very enthusiastic.'

As soon as they were out of earshot, Gai's tone turned serious again, "But that is not what I have come here to talk to you about."

"I know," replied Kakashi, his tone also grave.

"You feel it," asked Gai, already knowing the answer to his question. His voice and face grew very dark.

"Oh yeah," replied Kakashi, "there's no doubt about it. Its faint, and you and I are probably the only ones who will recognize it though."

"What do you think it means," continued Gai, "It couldn't possibly be..."

"No," said Kakashi quickly, a hint of fear in his voice, "There's no way. You and I were both there; we saw it with our own eyes," prompting Kakashi to touch the left side of his face where the Sharingan lay hidden.

"I know that," replied Gai, "but still, after what we saw, after what it did, do you think just maybe..."

Kakashi shrugged, "I can't say for sure, but it's very odd to be feeling it again. It may just be residual considering where we are, some nostalgic thing left in the backs of our minds."

Gai looked straight at Kakashi. They were silent for a while until Gai spoke again, "But what if...what if what we're feeling isn't residual but real."

Kakashi looked at him, his eyes half-closed giving him a lazy expression. However, there was obvious panic in his voice as the said to Gai, "Lets not think about that. Whatever happens, happens, and we'll deal with it when it comes."

Gai nodded in agreement. They walked on, but then noticed that the genin in front of them were not moving.

"We've stopped," said Kakashi, "C'mon, let's go to the front and check it out."

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Baki was in the front of the party, waving for Tsunade to stop. Tsunade looked behind and waved down the Jounin senseis to signal the group to halt. Tsunade approached Baki, his expression was very distraught, and his breathing seemed very labored, as if he had run a long distance.

"What's wrong?" Tsunade asked.

"It's..." Baki started to speak but quickly changed his train of thought, "You'd better just come up and see."

Tsunade looked puzzled, but nodded at Baki. She then turned to the group and began shouting orders, "I want everyone to stay here until I get back. Stay with your Jounin senseis and don't wander off."

"Temari, Gaara, Kankuro, come to the front of the line," yelled Baki.

Tsunade had an offended look on her face, having just been undermined by Baki, "Okay what's going on here?" she asked with a bit more force than last time.

"I'm sorry Hokage-sama," said Baki in a very apologetic tone, "but we'll need their insight."

'Insight,' she thought, 'what the hell is that supp-' her mind suddenly registered just exactly what Baki was saying. Her eyes grew wide as what he said hit her full force. Baki simply nodded, seeing that she finally understood.

"Let's go, quickly," she said. Temari, Gaara, and Kankuro soon followed suit, following Baki into the mist.

They traveled at a fast run for a good five minutes before coming upon a clearing. She could see a large pyre in the middle of it, but the rest was indistinguishable. Finally, the mist cleared and her jaw dropped in shock.

A large pile of corpses was burning in the middle of the town. Cloud ANBU were piling them on the fire, their movements very slow and solemn. Most of the houses remained intact, except for one that seemed demolished completely. A woman from the ANBU squad approached her. The face was masked, but Tsunade guessed it was a woman for obvious reasons; the only distinguishing quality that showed was a trail of long, jet black hair that gleamed despite the absence of light.

"Hokage of the Leaf," she said, her voice very smooth and cordial, "I am sorry that you have to see such destruction but this man from the Hidden Sand said that you could help our investigation." She bowed deeply, her long hair cascading over her shoulders towards the ground.

Tsunade didn't respond at first, simply staring at the carnage in front of her. Bodies still laid strewn about the ground, blood trailing across the earth and leaving deep gashes in the snow. 'Men, women...children,' she thought, 'it's like the war all over again.'

"Did you see who did this," she finally asked.

The Cloud ANBU nodded her head, "We saw two individuals flee quickly from the scene," she said, her voice quavering slightly, "we pursued them towards the bluffs over in that region," she pointed to the left of the village towards a grouping of small hills and mountains, "the trail we followed soon turned dry, and they seemed to vanish from the area. We could not pursue them any farther so we returned here to look for clues. We were here about thirty minutes before you arrived."

Tsunade nodded but said nothing. She continued to stare at the slaughter before her. The fire had begun to waft the smell of burning flesh into her nostrils. She so wanted to feel sick, to feel the sadness from seeing such a scene. 'I've seen too much of this to feel anything anymore,' she thought. She sighed deeply.

"Did you burn all of the corpses yet?" asked Baki, intruding upon the scene.

"Only the ones where the wounds did not seem out of the ordinary," she said, "We found four or five that match the description of a village razed a few months ago."

Baki nodded and looked towards Tsunade. "Show them to us," she said.

The walked a few meters away from the corpse pile. One of the larger ANBU continued to heap corpses on while the other skinnier ANBU searched through the rubble of a nearby house.

They arrived at a long sheet, which looked like four bodies were underneath. The ANBU female pulled the sheet off revealing four odd looking corpses. Tsunade observed them. Two of the corpses were charred; one looked as though someone had pulled its stomach out of its belly as a large wound protruded from the gut of the victim. The other had a slit moving all the way through her chest as snow could be seen through the other side. Both of what was left of their faces seemed to be in shock, as their mouths were still open. The body next to those two was of a very burly looking man. It appeared like it had a small cannon placed on its chest and had fired completely through; blood still stained the wound, which had begun to dry very rapidly. The final one was a small child. No visible wounds were on it, but blood had dried on the corner of its mouth as its small eyes looked up towards the sky. Tsunade felt a pang of guilt as she looked at it.

"We're not sure how this one died," said the ANBU, "we'll have to do an autopsy because some of the wounds seem strange."

"I found a survivor," yelled a voice behind them. Tsunade removed her eyes from the little boy and looked towards the ANBU.

He was cradling a very small girl in his arms, which shook very badly. Her clothes and body were slightly black and charred as small burns appeared on her face. However, besides a few cuts and scrapes she seemed no physically worse for wear.

Tsunade rushed over to her as the ANBU tore off a long cloak from himself and wrapped the girl in it. She was shaking very badly, 'Probably more out of shock than the cold,' thought Tsunade. Her eyes were very wide and she was whimpering loudly.

"We should take her back to the Hidden Cloud, inform the Raikage of this," said the largest ANBU.

The others nodded in agreement while the female ANBU took the child from the skinny man and cradled her in her arms. The girl clutched at the woman in fear, closing her eyes tightly.

Tsunade was reminded of her own younger sibling. During storms, she would comfort her brother Nawaki until the thunder passed away from them, but now...

She sighed deeply and forced her mind back to the present. 'I have to maintain my composure; I am the Hokage after all.' "Alright," she finally said, "I'll see if I can get my party to go around the village rather than through it so as to not destroy any evidence.

The ANBU nodded at Tsunade. The woman headed back up towards the path, the child wrapped in her arms while the other two searched the houses for any clues, cleaning up any corpses that hey happened to find.

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Baki watched idly as Tsunade went back to the encampment. The woman of the ANBU went back up the path towards the Hidden Cloud, the little girl cradled in her arms. He beckoned Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro towards the bodies. "Does this look familiar," he asked.

"Yes," said Gaara, "these wounds are almost exactly the same as found on what was left of the bodies of the other victims."

"It looks like only two did this as well," added Temari, "based on the way the entered the village, I say they each took a side and then sent into a free-for-all whenever the villagers started panicking."

"I haven't seen this though," said Kankuro, pointing to the body of the young boy, "These particular wounds are strange. It doesn't look like the outer body was damaged in any way, but bones are clearly broken as well as muscle tissue. You'd figure we'd see some bruises, scratches, scrapes, or something."

Baki stared at the three nins as they confirmed his suspicions. "I see," he said, "Thank you for your help; now return to the encampment."

"We could try to pursue them," said Kankuro, "they're probably not far off."

Baki shook his head, "No, the ANBU said their trail was gone, and I don't want you three in unfamiliar territory pursuing an enemy we know very little about."

"Are you afraid we'll be attacked," asked Gaara, an eyebrow raised.

Baki stared at him; he chuckled inwardly, 'I don't think anything less than a demon could take you down Gaara,' he thought to himself.

"No," he finally said, "It would just be a waste of energy. These enemies may or may not concern us just yet. There's too much of a span of time to really find any pattern between the two villages. Just head back to camp for now; I'll talk to you later."

Temari and Kankuro bowed while Gaara simply walked off, his arms crossed over himself. All three of them began to head back to the encampment while Baki took one last glance at the slaughter before joining them.

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Gai and Kakashi had arrived at the village, watching the fire burn in the distance. They had passed Tsunade on the way up, but she seemed too busy hurrying back to the encampment to scold them.

"It's not what we thought," said Gai.

"No, it's different somehow," said Kakashi thoughtfully.

"But yet, the feeling has its similarities," added Gai.

"I know, but we can't assume the worst."

"What do you think it is then?"

Kakashi stared off into the distance, up into the path to Thunder Capitol. "I have a feeling we're going to find out," he said ominously.

"Whatever comes, comes?" said Gai.

"Yeah, something like that."

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Naruto sat idly in the snow, while thoughts of training consumed him. 'I bet its some super-cool jutsu," thought Naruto, "like a cool thunder type jutsu, since we are in Thunder Country. Or maybe it's some ultra cool technique that will make a simple flick of my fingers crush mountains. Or MAYBE...it has to do with the nine-tails.' He hadn't used the Kyuubi's chakra to a large extent since the mission to recover Sasuke. He had practiced pulling it out at times when he was alone; even during some private training sessions with Gai, he had managed to pull some out. Gai didn't seem to mind; he actually seemed kind of impressed with him. 'Still,' he thought, 'I wonder why Gai-sensei was so adamant about me learning the 'proper' method for jutsus. If I learn a jutsu, I'll use it when I have to, enough said. Sometimes Gai-sensei really doesn't make any sense.'

His thoughts wondered off to Sasuke. 'Last time, I wasn't strong enough. But this time, things will be different,' he thought, 'I know if I have another chance I can beat Sasuke back to his senses. I just know it.'

His train of thought was cut off when Tsunade reappeared. "Alright everyone," she said loudly, "We're going to get back on course, I want you all to follow me around a side path, and from there, we're going to go straight to Thunder Capitol.

Naruto sat back up, the firewood still strapped to his back and hiked on. 'Damn Gai,' he thought, 'he knew we wouldn't need this stuff, he just wanted me to carry it up here.' He looked up to see his sensei slowly make his way back down to them. His expression was very strange; it almost looked serious, a rarity for Gai. 'Naruto stared at him oddly, eliciting a good-guy pose from Gai, before he hurried them on to follow Tsunade.

The party went around the outskirts of a large fire; he couldn't really see much else as the mist blocked it from view. 'Damn, what smells,' he thought as a particularly rancid scent caught his attention.

They walked on the foggy path for what seemed like hours, their footsteps becoming monotonous as they made their way farther into the Hidden Cloud. Suddenly, the mist cleared up. The sky was much lighter now, as the blackened clouds above had turned a light grey color. Naruto looked up and heard a very strange array of noises in front of him.

They finally overcame a particularly steep hill. Naruto shoved himself onto the flat earth and stared in awe at Thunder Capitol.

A/N: Hey, thanks for all the reviews, good or bad it all helps.


	14. Part 30: Exchanging Pleasentries

Part 3.0: Exchanging Pleasantries

Naruto stared up at the enormous city before him. Large steam stacks rose into the air, only to be overtaken by gigantic buildings. The entire complex was surrounded by a gigantic gate that rose to overtake half of the city; it was a mesh of steel struts across huge wooden beams in a large oval shape. It was painted a brilliant gold and white color that seemed to gleam even in the absence of light in the country. A gigantic emblem standing for Thunder stood in the middle of the gate. All that could be seen over the gate were gigantic steam stacks, continually pumping grey smoke into the air, and the tips of buildings that rose into the sky. Towering above everything else stood a huge, bright green palace that seemed out of place amidst the heavy shades of black and grey that seemed to engulf the city.

The party moved closer to the gate, seeing a much smaller hole that lay at the very bottom of it. As they approached closer, the true impact of how large Thunder Capitol was seemed to hit full force. All of the party had to crane their necks in order to see the top of the gate itself; nothing else inside the city was visible. Suddenly, the lower gates opened. They were at least twenty feet tall and covered with ornate stones that depicted a storm brewing, with yellow stones showing thunder and much whiter and clear ones depicting the clouds. It was quite a marvelous sight to behold.

"Welcome most honored guests," said a very fat and jovial man standing in the center of the now opened gates. He was wearing several layers of yellow robes with white crisscrossing streaks that covered his entire body, including his hands; despite the large clothes surrounding him, he still appeared quite hefty in the gut. "I am the assistant to the Lord of Thunder. Both he and the Raikage wish you warm welcome. However, they had much to attend to so they could not be here to greet you in person." The man quickly went up to Tsunade and bowed deeply to her. "The Raikage has requested your presence later in the week Hokage-sama," continued the emissary. He then took her hand a shook it furiously. "And let me say," he continued, in an extremely friendly voice, "what an honor it is for the Hokage herself to come and see the Chuunin exams; we are most honored by your presence."

Tsunade seemed taken aback, as she was not used to being treated so formally. "Well, thank you very much," she said, trying to hide the discomfort in her voice. "Umm, where is the Raikage as I'd like to speak with him?"

The emissary bowed slowly and backed away. "My most sincere apologies Hokage-sama," he said, "but he is currently in discussion with Otokage-sama and does not wish to be disturbed."

A white hot rage ran through Tsunade, 'So the bastard got here before us did he,' she thought, 'well that's just fine.'

She quickly composed herself and spoke again, her tone light yet very forceful, "I'd like to speak to him now please," she said, her voice shaking slightly.

The emissary seemed to be torn between the two orders he had just been given, "Um," he said nervously, "perhaps Hokage-sama did not hear me clearly, he is curren-"

"I heard what you said," replied Tsunade, "and I'd still like to see him immediately. As in now," she added with a bit more force that was cordial.

The emissary was now clearly nervous, he was rubbing his hands together frantically, his eyes shifting, contemplating quickly what to do. Tsunade crossed her arms and tapped her foot on the snow impatiently, causing the emissary to grow more frantic. Finally, he bowed deeply and said, "I-I-If you will it Hokage-sama, I will try to arrange it. The Raikage is currently in the master chamber of the Thunder Palace... the jade palace in the farthest reaches of the city."

"Thank you," replied Tsunade in a very sweet voice, "I would like to see him immediately. Inform him that I am coming."

"Y-Y-Y-Yes Hokage-sama," said the emissary, his tone ripe with fear. He quickly scuttled down the road in a feverish pace.

Tsunade watched him move down the snowy, his robe leaving a long trail marking his path. She smiled in satisfaction, 'Orochimaru thinks he can one-up me does he?' she thought, 'We'll see about that.'

She looked on farther down the road, a tall man was standing there, dressed in a Chuunin style vest calmly looking at them. He touched a cigarette to his lips and took a single drag before motioning her over to him. She followed the motion, perplexed as to what was going on."

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'How in the hell did I get roped into this,' thought Raan as he watched a young woman approach him. 'There's no way that's the Hokage,' he thought, 'she can't be a day past twenty-five. Must be a representative of some sort.'

He took another drag of his cigarette, 'I could be home right now, in her tight embrace, actually enjoying life for a change,' he thought. His mind drifted back to the previous night...

_A hard knock on his door had awoken him from a dreamless slumber. He looked to the clock by his bedside. '3:00 a.m.?' he thought, 'who in the hell is here at three in the morning.' _

_The pounding on the door continued, echoing through his entire apartment. He gingerly got out of bed, dressed only in a pair of boxer shorts. The wounds from a few days previous had not yet healed, as most had been reopened by his little 'chat' with Set just earlier in the day. He moved slowly, limping slightly as he made his way towards the door. The pounding grew louder now. 'Is it Set and Julius,' he thought, 'No, they wouldn't knock, just kick the door down if they wanted my attention,' he added with a slight anger welling in him. "Alright, I'm coming," he shouted. _

_He looked through the peephole in his door and was shocked to see Kimiko staring back at him. She was dressed in her ANBU attire and looked to be very distressed. Her blue eyes were slightly teary, making Raan feel a pang of guilt at earlier in the day._

_He quickly opened the door. Kimiko stood there, fidgeting slightly, not looking directly at Raan. It seemed like forever before one of them spoke. Kimiko then said shakily, "I'm sorry if I woke you."_

_Raan simply stared at her in the silence. He had been angry with her only a short while earlier, but just looking into her deep blue eyes melted him again. 'I'm so easy,' he thought to himself. He laughed slightly, "It's no problem," he finally said, "what's up?"_

_She walked past him, into the room. Raan shut the door behind them and looked at Kimiko. She still bore an expression of intense sadness on her face; it hurt Raan whenever she felt any unhappiness of any sort. "What's wrong," he asked, his voice filled with concern, "Did something happen on a mission?"_

_Kimiko nodded. "We were patrolling the pathways up the mountain," she said, her voice very solemn, "and we came across a village that had been destroyed recently. Almost everyone in it was dead, bodies strewn everywhere. Some still laying in their beds, with an expression of peace on their face as they died in their sleep; others bearing looks of horror as their bodies were twisted and mangled, their blood scattered across the snow."_

_Kimiko was facing with her back turned to him now. Raan had no idea what possessed her to paint such a detailed picture of the scene, but he was all ears if it helped any._

"_And then," she continued, "we found a little girl amongst the wreckage of a house. No _

_more than four or five years old, not even begun to live."_

_Raan gasped slightly at this, something seemed familiar about all this, the attack in general, but he couldn't place it. He continued listening to Kimiko. _

"_She was so scared. I carried her back up to the Thunder Hospital. It wasn't until then that she began calling out for her mother and father. She was asking, where they were, what happened to them, where she was. She was demanding them, crying out for them," Kimiko's voice was hiccupping slightly now, "Then, the nurse's tried to explain the situation to her, and she just collapsed in shock."_

_She turned to Raan now; her eyes were filled with tears that were slowly streaming down her face. Her hands were clutched tightly to her chest and her voice hiccupped slightly when she spoke. "I just thought, just thought..." She suddenly rushed towards Raan, embracing him around the waste, making him wince slightly as she hit his bad ribs. Raan didn't seem to mind though, he simply returned the embrace as Kimiko cried into his chest."_

"_I don't want to lose anyone, not like that, to be left all alone," she said, her voice slightly muffled, "I don't want to lose...you."_

_She now looked up at Raan, who returned her look. Her eyes were red and puffy now, but she was still the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. He smiled slightly, "I'm not going anywhere," he replied, his voice reassuring. _

"_But, but," continued Kimiko, "you always end up in, this condition, and you seem to be hurt constantly. You're always bandaged and broken in places. I just," she hiccupped slightly, "I just..."_

_Raan cupped her face in his hands, looking down at her. "I promise to you," he said, his voice very strong, "I will not leave you alone, ever. I swear by my own blood, on the pride of anyone who bears my clan's name. I will never leave you alone. You're strong Kimiko, stronger than I could ever hope to be. In reality," he paused slightly before continuing, "its me who needs you more."_

_There was a moment of silence that seemed to go on forever between them. Their eyes met, her deep, dark blue and his light golden meeting each other. Nothing else mattered, only her, only the moment. He heard a soft "thank you" pass through her lips before she broke the embrace. _

"_Well," she said, trying to compose herself, "I'd better go." She began to grasp the doorknob, when even unbeknownst to Raan himself, a soft "no" passed through his lips. _

_She turned around and stared at him, her eyes still wet with tears. "Did you say something," she asked._

_Raan's emotions were overwhelming, the love for Kimiko consumed him beyond anything he had ever felt before. He felt like he was no longer in control of his body, as if his brain detached from the rest of his body, and he was riding only on the waves of his deepest emotions. "Don't leave," he said, "Stay with me tonight, please." All his words came out very softly, barely escaping his mouth into the air._

_Kimiko let go of the doorknob and slowly approached Raan. She allowed part of her ANBU garment to flow off her shoulders and hit the floor with a thud. She grasped his shoulders gently as Raan encircled her waist with his arms. They pulled closer together, once again in a tight hug. Kimiko locked her arms around Raan's neck and pulled herself up to meet with his tall figure. Their lips finally met together in a warm embrace. Electricity shot through Raan's body as he ran his hands across Kimiko's back, moving them through her long, black hair as she did the same to him. They slowly moved themselves closer and closer towards Raan's bed..._

"Hello," came a very irritated voice to Raan's right.

Raan quickly came back into reality to see the young woman he had seen earlier inches away from his face, a very annoyed expression plastered on her.

He turned to her and sighed deeply, inadvertently blowing smoke in the woman's face. She coughed slightly before giving Raan a very dirty look.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said quickly, "You guys are from the Leaf right?"

The woman nodded, the very ugly stare still being administered to Raan.

"Alright," replied Raan, "can you tell me where your village Hokage is?"

The woman seemed to grow even more annoyed with the last comment, though Raan was unsure just exactly why.

Suddenly, a grin shot across her face, confusing Raan further. "Why, she's standing right in front of you," she said with an air of nobility about her.

Raan looked at her strangely and then looked around her back towards the gate, to the each side, even behind him. Finally, he gave up his search, "I don't see her," he said.

A strong hand grabbed at his vest and pulled him down to eye level with the woman, "It's me you idiot!" shouted the woman.

Raan recoiled slightly, 'Wow, this chick's pretty strong,' he thought, 'I guess she is the Hokage.' The woman let go of him, and he quickly stood back up straight, adjusting his vest slightly. "Well Miss Hokage-sama," he said, his voice more cordial this time, "I've been instructed, along with those people over there," he said pointing over to the right of him to a group of men standing stock-still, in a very militaristic pose, "to show you and your party Thunder Country."

The Hokage raised her eyebrow slightly, "You mean a tour," she asked.

"Yeah," replied Raan unenthusiastically, "something like that." 'I'd better hurry this little expedition up,' thought Raan, 'I promised Kimiko I'd meet her at the hospital in a few hours.'

The woman seemed to contemplate the idea for a moment before nodding to Raan. "Okay," she said, "I'll divide the groups up for anyone who wants to take the tour."

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Tsunade waved the party forward, and Naruto took his first step past the gate into Thunder Capitol.

He was amazed at how different it was from Konoha. Konoha was a village filled with markets, small to medium buildings of stone and brick, with shops and carts line along the streets. Yet the ninja academy was the largest building in the area, easily dwarfing any industrial or agrarian centers.

Thunder Capitol seemed more akin to a bustling metropolis than any kind of village. Large, many windowed buildings scraped the skies and dwarfed many smaller, square buildings in the area. Large spires stood out amongst many large industrial centers that spouted smoke and steam into the air. The air had a very thick and noxious odor to it; as Thunder Capitol simply reeked of commercial industry. Large multi-colored billboards painted the sky a dazzling array of colors that seemed to make even the sun pale in comparison. Huge apartment buildings housed residents for stories up into the air. The streets themselves were filled with people, going about their daily activities; in and out of buildings along the streets. However, every building simply could not compare to a large, crystal palace in the center of town. It looked like it was made from Jade stone, and had many ornate spires coming out from it. The main building had a large domed structure that came into a large point. Naruto watched it in amazement as lightning struck the one of the spires, only for it to be snaked along invisible wires, and split into individual buildings. About every three or four minutes this process would repeat itself, the lightning always hitting a tower, only for it to be divided amongst smaller buildings in the area.

The Jounins began dividing them into smaller groups amidst seven or so people, about ten to each one. The Chuunins were led to a separate area to the right of them, in a very tall, regal looking building that seemed to have a gold trim around it. He watched as they were separated from the rest of the group, but Shikamaru seemed to lag behind and eventually separate to rejoin Chouji in the group Naruto was in. Naruto, Lee, and TenTen were given to the man Tsunade had been talking to (and yelling at) earlier. He was idly smoking a cigarette, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else at the moment.

"Oh yeah," yelled the man to the groups before they left, "I don't know if the assistant to the Thunder Lord mentioned this or not, but while you're staying here, your room and board are free. Just give them proof that you're with the Leaf and you eat and sleep anywhere for free."

This last statement perked Naruto's interest. 'Free,' he thought, 'just get me to a Ramen stand.' However, even his excitement couldn't compare to Chouji's. He had a very malicious grin on his face and was drooling slightly. "I'll eat them out of house and home," Naruto heard him say.

"Well then," began the tall, golden-eyed man in front of them, "let's begin shall we."

They proceeded to walk down the crowded streets, as the man in front of them pointed out different objects and landmarks. Lee was taking notes at a feverish pace, much like he did when he was with Gai. Naruto found the whole thing exceedingly boring, his mind drifting to much more important matters.

'Otokage,' he thought, "that's what they called Orochimaru. So if he's here, then so is Sasuke.' The mere thought of Sasuke refueled his temper, which was so close to the surface anymore. 'This time,' he continued, 'things will be different. I won't lose.'

A sudden strike of lightning to a nearby tower brought his attention back to the present.

"Hey, Mr. Smoking-guy," he said, directing his question towards the tour guide.

The man looked back with a repugnant expression on his face, "What?" he asked, less than cordially.

"What the hell are those things?" asked Naruto, pointing towards the spiraled towers.

The guide eyed them slightly, "Those are the reason for this city's success. You see, the clouds here are always very volatile and constantly shoot lightning out from the clouds. We utilize this natural resource and turn it into energy, which powers basically everything here. The reason we can conduct everything on such a high industrial level is because we have the largest power source on the continent at our disposal, the weather itself. As for any leftover energy, we ship it down via the lines to nearby nations to make a tidy profit. The energy found here is what has made Thunder Country the richest nation on the continent."

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'Man, now that was a nice speech,' thought Raan, 'I guess I really am the best speaker in the village.'

His attention turned back to the blond-haired boy who asked the question. He seemed to be staring at something to the right of them. "Huh," he said, "did you say something?"

Raan simply stared in amazement, 'Man I hate kids,' he thought, 'I know I wasn't that annoying when I was younger.'

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Naruto stared into the alleyway. The darkness was very thick, but he had a familiar feeling about him. He continued to stare, ignoring the questions of their guide as to what he was looking at. Suddenly, a dark shape moved and retreated back into the alley.

'It's him,' Naruto thought. He then went into the alleys himself to pursue.

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"Hey kid," called Raan, "where the hell are you going," as the blond genin stormed off quickly into the darkness. Raan shook his head. 'I've got enough on my plate without worrying about some stray genins,' he thought. His first instinct was to pursue, 'but that's only going to eat up more of my time. He'll turn up,' he thought.

Raan continued on with his tour until another kid piped up. He turned around to see a relatively skinny kid and annoyed Chuunin looking back at him.

"Hey," said the skinnier kid, "you wouldn't happen to know of anywhere close by where we can pick up some fine cuisine do you?"

Raan laughed at this, "Already going to take advantage of our generosity eh?" he said. "Well, I believe the closest place would be Thunder Break, right over there." He pointed to the right to a building that was well up kept and reeked of fine cuisine.

Raan looked back towards the skinny genin only to find that neither he, nor his friend were there. He followed a trail of dust and watched the skinnier one, pulling his friend at top speed into the restaurant. Raan laughed nervously at this, 'I really hope I don't have to keep a headcount,' he thought.

He looked back at his group and was slightly shocked to see that most all of the students had taken the distraction as a chance to escape. He sighed deeply, blowing smoke down in front of him. He heard a small cough and looked down. What was left of his group was a bowl-haircut kid who was taking down everything Raan said in a white notepad. The other was a very shy looking girl whose eyes were a very pearly white.

'A Hyuuga,' thought Raan, slightly surprised. She was still coughing from Raan's smoke.

"Sorry about that," he said. He bent down so that he was now on eye-level with both of them. "Well, I guess since most of the group has deserted me, so you guys can leave too if you want."

The bowl-headed kid suddenly pumped his fist into the air, "No, Gai-sensei says that I must expand my most youthful horizons," he said, his voice triumphant, "by learning about this country, I can increase my most youthful intelligence." He ended the spiel by giving Raan a thumbs up followed by a shiny smile.

'Who in the hell,' thought Raan, the expression on his face showing utter confusion. His attention then turned down to the Hyuuga, who was looking back towards the alleyway the blond haired kid had turned down into. She had a very longing expression on her face.

Raan thought for a moment and then a smile crept across his face. "Hey you know what," he said, "I'm not really supposed to show you kids this, but I think we'll be alright." He walked down the street and motioned for them to follow.

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'Alright,' thought Lee, 'by persevering I will now ascertain forbidden knowledge from our most intelligent tour guide.'

He started to follow but stopped whenever he saw Hinata looking towards the alleyway. Lee had seen Naruto travel down it in a haste but was unsure as to why.

Lee placed his hand reassuringly on Hinata's shoulder, eliciting a surprised exhale from Hinata. Lee smiled his toothy grin at her, "He'll be fine," said Lee, "anyway, we'd better hurry and follow if we're going to see such amazing sights and gain access to knowledge that would otherwise be forbidden to us. Don't worry, you'll see him later on some time."

Hinata smiled shyly at Lee but then followed his lead as they went with their tour guide.

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Tsunade stormed into the Jade Palace, its cavernous arches and green stone creating a loud echo as her shoes hit the floor. She walked strongly towards the Raikage's inner sanctum, the largest and most ornate room in the complex.

'What does he think he's doing,' thought Tsunade. She picked up her pace, almost into a brisk jog as she went closer to the Raikage's room. The palace simply reeked of power and status. Along the walls, pictures of the past seven Raikages were placed in order, their frames plated in gold.

Tsunade continued to walk on, past gigantic pillars of jade stone, reflecting the heavy lights that hung from the ceiling. She finally came to a large, ornate door ordained in precious metals. A gigantic picture of the current Raikage, the eighth, hung overhead, on top of the door. Suddenly, the emissary she had talked to earlier came in front of her, cutting her off. He was bowing madly, attempting to remain cordial and keep his composure at the same time.

"I am so very sorry Hokage-sama," he said, his voice very shaky, "but Raikage-sama cannot be disturbed. He is in a very important meeti-"

Tsunade shoved him out of the way, against a far wall. "I know he's in and he's going to see me now," she said forcefully.

She pushed the gigantic, double doors open and came into a well lit room that seemed quite plain in comparison to the rest of the palace. White candles ordained all sides of the rooms, separated by a few feet in a very deliberate fashion. An elongated wooden table laid in the middle of the room. Straight-backed and plain chairs were all around it, though only two were being used. In the chair farthest from the doors sat Orochimaru, lightly clothed in a white robe, his long black hair flowing down across his back and chest. He had a slightly smug look on his face as she entered the room. His yellow, slitted eyes bore through her, but she met his gaze unwaveringly.

"I see your boorish reputation precedes itself Hokage-sama," came a very deep and impertinent voice from the center of the table.

Tsunade looked at the source of the voice to see the current Raikage staring back at her. His hands were locked at the center of the tabled and his dark eyes were staring bullets into her as well. Tsunade was surprised at how young he looked. His skin was very tanned, but light streaks of skin were adorned across his forehead and down his left cheek showing scars. His face was very straight and cut, as his chin jutted out giving him a strong appearance. His brow was fixed in a permanent frown, giving him a very angry look, though he appeared quite calm. His hair was a grayish blond that was split in the center and trailed in a braid down his back, with both sides being tressed into a single line.

Tsunade stared at him, but forced herself to bow cordially at him. "My apologies Raikage-sama," she said, attempting to stay pleasant, "but I wished to speak to you as soon as possible."

The Raikage stood straight up, Orochimaru following suit. Tsunade was slightly taken aback by how tall he was. He was at least a foot taller than herself, around six feet seven inches, a giant in his own right.

"Understandable," replied the Raikage, his voice still very serious, "but since both the Otokage and Hokage are here, I believe we should all exchange pleasantries. That is, a sign of good will; I know your two nations have had their conflicts in the past, but I hope that this Chuunin examination will be an opportunity for us all to reach a peaceful understanding between all the ninja nations."

Orochimaru nodded his head in agreement, the smug smile still plastered to his face. Tsunade was trying very hard to keep her anger in check; she so wanted to reach out and snap Orochimaru's neck with a flick of her wrist. The anger was beginning to well inside her, but she pushed it deep down insider herself, not wishing to cause a scene here.

"To a peaceful unison," came Orochimaru's raspy voice. It sounded more along the lines of a hiss than normal speech. There was a hint of satisfaction in his voice which annoyed Tsunade to no end.

A wicked smile then crept across Tsunade's face as she held out her hand for Orochimaru to shake. Orochimaru scowled slightly, put forced himself to pull up a very shaky arm to meet Tsunade's. As soon as their hands met, Tsunade tried her best to crush Orochimaru's fingers without making it look obvious. Orochimaru winched slightly, but refused to release.

"Well," said the Raikage, "that's better. It is essential that all participating nations show signs of tolerance and a will for diplomacy during these troubled times." His voice was very pleasant now, as if trying very hard to stay polite during this entire excursion.

Tsunade released Orochimaru's hand, the look of satisfaction now on her face. She looked back at the Raikage, "I agree Raikage-sama," she said, "but I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time along with the...Otokage," she said very forced.

"Tomorrow," replied the Raikage, "the Otokage came to us in a more 'prompt' manner and thus has my full attention at the moment. But don't worry; there are still a few days before the Chuunin examination begins, and you will have my undivided attention later on."

Tsunade took slight offense to this, but realized she could not convince the Raikage otherwise. She bowed deeply, thanking him for his time before turning to leave.

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The doors shut behind her as Tsunade left the Raikage's inner sanctum. Orochimaru and the Raikage went back to their seats and continued their conversation.

"So," continued the Raikage, his voice serious again, "you say that the Hidden Leaf are a crippled and downtrodden village now?"

"Yes," replied Orochimaru, his voice malicious and devious, "the attack on their village left them weak, even weaker than they were previously. An attack on them now would decimate the village completely, leaving whoever conquered it in control."

The Raikage rapped his fingers against the wood of the table. "I'd be lieing if I said your words did not intrigue me Orochimaru. It is no secret that my village has a certain, shall we say, disdain for the Hidden Leaf. But alone, I cannot carry a war. If other parties such as the Hidden Stone or Hidden Mist decide to play their hands, I will not be able to defeat them all, despite my nin's abilities and size. Even with your forces combined with mine, we could only make this to a draw."

"Yes, Raikage-sama," said Orochimaru, "but I have in my possession weapons of great power and skill that if developed properly can be the equivalent of three of four of the Leaf's best. They just need time and proper support to mature."

The Raikage chuckled slightly, "You're asking me for funding then?" he said.

"No," replied Orochimaru, "I'm asking for an alliance, with which we can crush the Leaf village, once and for all. I know the Hidden Cloud's hatred for the Leaf runs deep within all of you as it does me. With an alliance, you can take your revenge upon the Leaf and become the strongest nation on the continent."

The Raikage did not answer at first. He continued drumming his fingers upon the wood table. He suddenly started chuckling again, "That's a very nice proposal Orochimaru," he said, "but I think the real issue at hand is 'why should I trust you?'"

Orochimaru looked slightly taken aback at this. "You see," continued the Raikage, "you don't strike me as the most honorable of characters. I have heard of your betrayal of the Leaf's allies the Sand nins. How do I know that you simply won't repeat the process if we happen to fail?"

Orochimaru did not have an answer for this and a silence once again interrupted the proceedings. Before Orochimaru could speak again, the Raikage stood, "I will need time to consider your proposal Orochimaru," he said, "There are many options to weigh into this decision. However, before the Chuunin examination is over you will have an answer. Now leave please, I have much work to attend to."

Orochimaru bowed slightly before leaving, a frustrated look on his face. He closed the doors behind him, leaving the Raikage alone.

'Well then,' he thought to himself, 'only one more matter to take care of.'

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Tsunade leaned against the back of a jade pillar, waiting patiently for Orochimaru to reappear. She heard the gigantic double doors open again and close suddenly. Footsteps could be heard echoing in the cavernous hall, bouncing off the jade archways, pillars, and decorations that ordained this place. She continued to wait patiently, her arms crossed over her chest, staring only to the right towards the main hall.

Finally, she caught sight of Orochimaru. He continued to walk forward, but then abruptly stopped and looked straight at her, a grin appearing on his face. "Hello Tsunade-sama," came his harsh voice, "waiting for something?"

Tsunade allowed the anger raging within her to burn to the surface. Her eyes stared holes through Orochimaru, and the fury was easily shown in her face. However, Orochimaru continued to smile triumphantly at her.

"I don't know what you're trying to do Orochimaru," she said, her voice full of malice as she slowly approached him, "but if you think I'm going to let you have your way-"

"You'll do what?" said Orochimaru in a very sardonic tone, "Attack me? I think not Tsunade. You see, you and your Leaf rats have their backs up against the wall now. You cannot harass me nor any of my pupils lest you face retaliation from the Hidden Cloud."

Tsunade just scowled at him; she knew what he said was true, but that didn't keep her from detesting him for it. "He hates you, you know," continued Orochimaru, malice evident in his voice, "he hates all of the Leaf, a really admirable quality. Oh course, that should be obvious to someone even as inept as you Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade drew back a fist and charged at Orochimaru. However, she stopped short of punching him, her hand only inches from his face. She had almost lost control of herself, but had stopped herself short of actually hitting him. Orochimaru stood unflinching to her mock assault. A broad grin came across his face, "A wise decision Tsunade. I would hate to report any threatening acts from you to the Raikage," he said, chuckling slightly.

Tsunade returned to her original position. "The Hidden Cloud are no longer our enemy. The same cannot be said about you Orochimaru; the Hidden Cloud does not hate us enough to restart the fifty years war with us."

"Oh please Tsunade," said Orochimaru, laughing openly, "the Leaf was responsible for destroying every Thunder bloodline in existence; you killed their best ninjas. How long do you think it takes for the hate from such an act to dissipate? A year? A decade? A century perhaps? No Tsunade, hate of that magnitude could not be dispelled for a hundred generations; it will carry on from parent to child as they tell the story of how the evil Hidden Leaf crippled the Hidden Cloud."

The gigantic doors leading into the palace suddenly opened. Tsunade's attention was still drawn to Orochimaru, but her eyes shifted to see the new arrivals. From a distance they looked like adults, but as they grew closer, their faces revealed them to be around thirteen or fourteen years old. They looked very odd. The one to the right was dressed completely in a tight, scaly, red suit, and his eyes had a very weird, red design with black crisscrossing lines in them. The other wore a very lose, white garment that covered his entire body. His eyes were a strikingly pale green, despite the fact that hey were half-closed.

"It won't matter what you say to the Raikage," continued Orochimaru, "the Hidden Cloud would never even consider total peace with the Leaf village. I personally think they'd rather see every Leaf nin's head on a pike-" he quieted down as the two Thunder nin passed, not wanting to be overheard. Tsunade watched them as they pushed the large doors open and went into the Raikage's inner sanctum.

Tsunade's attention turned back to Orochimaru, but she was shocked at his face. His eyes were wide and a slight bead of sweat swept down his face. He looked like he had just seen a ghost, his expression changing from confident to terrified so quickly.

"Cat got your sickly, long tongue Orochimaru," asked Tsunade, a slight hint of satisfaction in her voice.

Orochimaru quickly regained his composure. "I have nothing further to say to you Leaf rat," he said, quickly storming off back towards the entrance to the palace. Tsunade watched him leave before punching one of the jade pillars in frustration. Despite her massive strength, it did not budge, but she left a deep dent in the stone there. She rubbed her hand to dull the slight pain, her mind still fresh with what Orochimaru had said. As much as she hated to admit it, there was much truth to his words, and she knew it would be difficult for the Raikage to agree to any peace with the Leaf at all.

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Orochimaru left the Jade palace. As soon as the massive doors slammed shut behind him, he leaned against a far wall, out of site from anyone. His breathing was very heavy, and the frightened expression was still on his face.

'That feeling,' he thought, 'it's so similar to back then. Does that mean...no. No that's impossible it can't be. But still, who were those two nin."

Orochimaru shoved the thought from his mind and continued back to the room that he had lodged himself in.

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Julius and Set stood before the Raikage. Candlelight bathed the entire room giving it an eerie glow as shadows flickered forming shapes upon the walls. The Raikage was seated, staring at the two of them, his dark eyes piercing. They stood there, waiting for him to speak.

"So," he finally said, "I take it the mission was a success then."

Set chuckled slightly, "Slaughtering weak and stupid cattle like them seems to only get more fun every time we do it," he said, "I created quite some lovely masterpieces that day."

"I don't care about your sick acts Set," said the Raikage, eliciting a slight scowl from Set, "I want to know if the mission was a success or not."

"We accomplished our objectives," replied Julius coldly, "the village was decimated and no one was left alive."

"Really," said the Raikage, his voice rising slightly. He got up from his seat and walked to them. "You see, I have heard differently. The ANBU squad that was patrolling that area said they found one survivor. A little girl, around four or five years old was found under the floorboards of the only destroyed building in the area. Does this ring any bells," he added, his voice filled with rage.

Set's eyes widened slightly at remembering the thing under the floorboards of the house he had been pawing at, and the explosive notes he had placed on the sides of the building. He then felt a harsh slap come across his face from Raikage, knocking his face to the side and leaving a slight pink mark on his face.

"Imbeciles," yelled the Raikage, "I give you one simple job to do and you can't even accomplish that. What good are you then!?" The Raikage turned his back to them and stared out a nearby window.

Set's teeth were bared; he was growling slightly, the fury rising up in him. He raised his hands to the attacking position, ready to spring at the Raikage. A hand came across his chest as Julius held him back. He slowly shook his head. Set reluctantly calmed down, "If your damned ANBU hadn't interrupted we would have finished the job flawlessly," said Set, his voice still harboring the anger he felt towards the Raikage.

"If you hadn't spent your time indulging in your macabre pleasures you would have gotten done faster," said the Raikage, "Well don't worry, I'm giving you an opportunity to redeem yourselves before the Chuunin examination."

"What do you want us to do," asked Julius, his voice still cool.

"Two things," replied the Raikage, "first, the little girl is still alive; I want her dead by tonight. Set, that will be your job; don't leave any evidence that can be traced back to us."

"They will be suspicious," replied Set, his voice still having a tone of fury to it, "Little girls don't just die by themselves, and we can't blame bandits on this one. They'll know it was someone of at least decent skill."

"I want them to be suspicious," replied the Raikage, "I can turn your mistake into my fortune very easily." Set reluctantly nodded his head. "As for you Julius," continued the Raikage, "I want you to do some scouting for me."

"Oh," said Julius in surprise, though there was little inflection in his voice, "you want me to do recon work? Isn't that a job more suited for the ANBU?"

"Not in this case," replied the Raikage, "Orochimaru has placed quite a bit of stock in that Uchiha lad of his. He claims him to be the most powerful genin to take place in this exam, placing him even up to Jounin strength."

Julius raised an eyebrow, "Really," he said, "and you wish for me to confirm these suspicions?"

The Raikage nodded his head. "Is he really that powerful," asked Set, a slight hint of excitement in his voice.

"Hard to say," replied the Raikage, "I know for a fact that the Uchiha are strong, but Orochimaru has a tendency to over exaggerate certain things. I doubt that he's as strong as you two though."

"What makes you say that," asked Julius, "there's no telling how powerful he could be."

The Raikage chuckled slightly, "Just because of who you are and who his sensei is. Now leave and come back to me only when your missions are finished."

They both turned on their heels and left the inner sanctum.

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"INSOLENT BASTARD!" screamed Set as soon as the double doors closed behind them. Set was seething with rage, "To think that he mocks us so easily. I should pull out his entrails and hang him with them from the top of this damned palace."

"Calm down," replied Julius, "don't do anything brash. He is the Raikage after all, we won't be able to kill him."

"Frightened of him brother," asked Set, the fury still fresh in him.

"No," replied Julius coolly, "but I'm not stupid either. I don't like to fight battles I know I cannot win. He is the Raikage after all; it would be wise not to underestimate him."

Set contemplated this for a moment before finally agreeing with his brother. There was silence between them for a while as they walked down towards the palace entrance.

"What do you think of the Uchiha," asked Set, "do you think he really is so powerful?"

"Possibly," replied Julius, "I have heard that the Uchiha clan was the strongest in Konoha. But I guess I'll find out won't I," he added with a slight hint of a smile.

"You're going to confront him brother?" asked Set, slightly excited.

"If it's necessary. We'll just have to see how things play out."

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Naruto ran faster into the dark alleyways, behind buildings of brick and stone. The rancid smell of garbage mixed in with the smells of the sewer beneath him as steam from the heat of the waste beneath him rose forth to the surface. He hurried on, into the darkness, following a familiar feeling. He turned left, right, went straight, eventually he lost track of just how to get back to his starting position, but none of that mattered. 'I'm so close, I can feel it,' he thought. The noise of the crowd had long since died out, and it appeared that he was in an abandoned industrial district. Besides the occasional bum or drunk he did not see what he was looking for.

Suddenly, he stopped and looked at a large building. It was a rusted, metallic grey and reeked slightly. Windows were broken or boarded up, but the doors were open. He walked inside, his footsteps echoing on the hard, metal floor. He was so close now. The light from outside permeated through the windows and shot onto the floor. He heard footsteps, but they were not his own. He looked into the darkness. A figure was coming forwards, closer and closer with each successive step. Finally, he came into the light. Naruto's eyes opened slightly and then furrowed, an expression of rage on his face. Finally, after all this time it was finally here. After four months he was here again.

Before him stood Uchiha Sasuke...


	15. Part 31: Taste of Things to Come

Part 3.1: Taste of Things to Come

"Here we are," said Raan. The three of them had finally stopped in front of a very ornate looking building that resembled a large temple. It had a very gothic style to it, with many arches and spires encircling it. Although the building resembled the Jade Palace in many ways, it seemed much less pompous and much more pious that the Raikage's home. It was not the largest building on the block, but it stood out more than any of the others. Stained glass windows depicting certain events in the history of the Thunder Country were placed along the main center of the building and at the tops of every spire. It was very ornate, and the genins looked up with wide-eyed amazement, the bowl-headed one taking a large amount of notes as he was continually flipping to the next page in his white pad.

During the trip up to the temple, Raan had taken the time to learn a little bit about each of the genin that were following him. One was named Rock Lee, a very enthusiastic genin who seemed obsessed with training his skills and confirming his nindo of hard work. Raan had to admit he found his enthusiasm pretty entertaining, and he appreciated someone who worked hard for everything in their lives. The other was named Hyuuga Hinata, and besides her name, she seemed to be too shy to divulge any other information. 'Well, I'm not surprised,' he thought, 'her clans got quite the history with the Hidden Cloud.'

They walked up the steps of the temple, Raan taking the lead and beckoning them up. This was one of the few places where the entire building was made of simple quarry stone than anything extravagant. "This is the oldest building in the city. It's stood here since before any Raikage actually existed. It used to be a temple of worship for a pagan religion, but they abandoned it a long time ago."

"What's it used for now?" asked Lee.

Raan smiled a bit, "Well, I'll show you." They continued up the steps of the temple until they finally came to the arched doorway. A man dressed in a long, orange robe smiled at Raan and opened the door for him. Lee and Hinata attempted to follow suit but were stopped by the robed man.

"It' alright Sule, they're with me," said Raan. With that, the Sule bowed deeply and went back to his post, allowing both Hinata and Lee to enter the temple.

It was very bright and hot inside the temple, which reeked of incense. The temple itself was very spacious, having a large domed area hundreds of feet up. In the center of the temple there was a single bolt of lightning that seemed to be continually moving from tip to tail. Around the bolt were eight, three story tall statues, each with their hands permanently placed around the long bolt of lightning. The statues were each made of a different substance, a rare stone or metal of some sort; gold, silver, platinum, jade, bronze, diamonds, rubies, emeralds. Despite the absence of light in the country, color reigned supreme in this temple. It was a symphony of color, the reds and yellows reflecting off the statues and the stained glass forming oranges; all spectrums of light reflected off these statues and made the room a constantly shifting spectrum. The sounds of monks chanting in the background could be heard, and people could be seen praying at the stone dais before each of the statues.

"Welcome," said Raan, "to the Temple of Legacy." He waved his arms broad as if allowing them to take in the complete sight of the temple.

Lee was in shock. His notepad fell to the floor with a thud as he stared in awe at the amazing sights he beheld. "This is amazing," he said, "we don't have anything like this in Konoha." Hinata's expression was much the same as she stared wide-eyed at the colorful display before her.

"This is my favorite place in the whole city," said Raan, "I come here when I need to get away for a while. This is where we honor the Raikages past and present, eight in all." He motioned towards the statues, beginning with the most prominent one, "That is the first, Izou Dou, regarded as the most powerful of Raikages and the founder of this village. Next to him is Izou Kai, the second Raikage who established the Hidden Cloud as a prominent ninja village."

Lee looked up at the statues. Izou Dou's statue was made completely of gold, with rare gems adorned at the eyes. They were red rubies, cut in an odd manner that he did not recognize. There was something awkward about the eyes that captivated him. "So," said Lee, "The first and second were father and son?"

"That's right," said Raan. He stared up admiring the craftsmanship of the massive statues. Izou Dao had a very long beard that went all the way down past his wait, covering most of his body and face. His face seemed to be stuck in a permanent grin. All of the statues bodies were placed in the Raikage garb, a long flowing robe that reach just past the ankles, and lay on top of the feet. Izou Kai was next to him, an expression of sadness placed on his face.

"Why do you have so many Raikages," came a shy voice from behind Raan. He looked behind him to see that the Hyuuga girl had finally decided to speak up. Her eyes quickly went to the floor as Raan looked back at her.

Raan smiled slightly, "Well, two reasons," he said, "first, our village was established before yours and is the oldest of the ninja nations, predating the Leaf by a few generations." His expression and tone then turned solemn. "The second reason is that the Raikage is chosen a little differently from your Hokage. Whenever the Raikage falls in battle to another member of the Hidden Cloud, the person who killed the previous Raikage is the new Raikage."

Both Lee and Hinata were taken aback by this startling news. Raan looked up at the statues again, the color leaving his eyes slightly. The statues hands surrounded the brilliantly white bolt of lightning that streaked between the two points in the ceiling and the floor.

"So then," piped up Lee, "Izou Kai killed his father?" Raan nodded his head. "And this still goes on today?"

Raan looked at Lee, "You may consider it barbaric, and in a sense it is. But the logic is that the Raikage should only be replaced by someone of greater or equal power. Still..."

Raan sighed deeply, staring up at the statues again. "Oh Raan," came a voice to his right, "It's good to see you again."

Raan looked over to see the head monk of the temple. He was dressed in the same orange robe as the others, but his hair was a single braid that came from the top of his head down. Raan smiled over at him, "Yeah, back again I guess."

Chiang smiled warmly as he made his way towards Raan. "Oh," he said, looking at Lee and Hinata, "are these Leaf nins with you Raan?"

Raan nodded his head, and Chiang laughed out loud, his large belly swaying back and forth. "You certainly have chosen wisely my young friends," he said to Lee and Hinata, "You see, the man who brought you here is a direct descendent of the first and second Raikages themselves."

The two genin looked at him in amazement, "Wow," said Lee, "you must be a very powerful and ultra-cool person then if you have such blood flowing through you."

Raan laughed nervously, "Well," he said, "I guess talent skips a generation or two. I'm nothing really special. Heck, my girlfriend can beat me up pretty easily."

Lee looked a little disappointed at this but changed his expression quickly, "Ah well," he said, "I'm sure you're doing something that would make your ancestors proud," adding a thumbs up pose he had given three times since he met him.

Raan looked downtrodden at the last comment. "Yeah," he said, his voice distraught, "I guess." He opened the watch attached to his belt and opened it, the picture of Kimiko reminding him of his prior engagement. "Listen kids, I've got somewhere I need to be so I'm going to have to let you go." Lee and Hinata looked slightly disappointed but followed Raan out of the temple.

Raan watched them go down the street back to a hotel. Raan pulled out a cigarette and looked up at the sky. He was shocked to see that it was getting very dark. 'What time is it again,' he thought. He pulled out his watch, 'Its only 12:00 in the afternoon. Why is it getting so dark.' He stared up at the darkness that seemed to be consuming the town. He ripped his mind from it and went towards the hospital, the dark clouds overhead still giving him a feeling of ill omen.

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Naruto breathed heavily now; he could hear his breath echo with every passing in the cavernous building. He could feel his emotions rise to the surface again; just the sight of Sasuke brought him near the brink of frenzy. He kept his breathing controlled, his emotions in check. 'Not yet,' he thought to himself. Sasuke stood across from him, his arms crossed loosely in front of him. He was wearing the exact same garb he had worn since he had seen him last, a loose black t-shirt and white shorts. The only difference was that his headband now bore the mark of the Hidden Sound, another reminder of the feelings of betrayal that welled deep down inside of himself.

Neither of them spoke, only stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Suddenly, Sasuke spoke, "So," he said, his voice melancholy, "here we are again."

Naruto's mind filled with so many questions that his voice could not keep up. He wanted to ask Sasuke so many things, but at the same time he also wanted to curse Sasuke into oblivion and crush him. "Why Sasuke," said Naruto finally, his voice seething with fury, "why did you leave everyone? The village...cared so much about you. Everyone loved you, recognized you, and you turned your back on them all. Was it all for power, your capacity? ANSWER ME!!" he finally shouted with enough force to startle the birds perched on the rafters making them flutter away.

Sasuke simply stood unflinchingly as if he hadn't even heard Naruto's question. "None of that, people, love, recognition, matters at all," said Sasuke, his voice very cold, "Since that day, my goals have been always been clear. Number one, gain power; number two, kill my brother. Nothing else in this world matters except achieving those two goals. Friends, they would only distract me. That is why Konoha is weak Naruto."

Naruto's eyes widened, the anger coursing through him. Only the thought that perhaps there was still a glimmer of hope of reaching Sasuke kept him from attacking him. "You see Naruto," continued Sasuke, "Konoha puts so much stock in the fact that one's strength comes from the people around them. There could be nothing farther from the truth. Those people, who one would needlessly risk their lives for, will only result in a quick and meaningless death. Solitude, anger, deep feelings for revenge, these are all I need, all the motivation I need. Only with that single-mindedness can I truly achieve my goal and take my revenge upon Itachi."

"So then," asked Naruto, tears welling in his eyes, as both sadness and anger overwhelmed him, "does nothing matter to you? All the people that believed in you; that became your friends; that shared the deepest bonds with you. Kakashi-sensei, Sakura-chan... myself, do we mean nothing to you?"

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Sasuke contemplated Naruto's question. In his heart, he still felt the pangs telling him that he wanted friendship, to be comforted by people who would share his pain. He could still feel the lingering emotions within himself that so desperately wanted to run away from the pain and frustration that his goal entailed. Fond memories of their time as team 7 came flooding back to him. The spirited competition that Naruto and Sasuke had. Climbing the trees, the many missions where they watched each other's backs, the times when they were a team...but then...

The thought of Itachi staring down at him turned his focus back to present. 'I am an avenger,' he thought, 'there is no place for friends, family, love, these are only pleasantries that will get in the way of true power. My hate will fuel the fire within me.'

Sasuke looked back at Naruto, looking into his deep blue eyes as tears welled up in them. "That's right Naruto," replied Sasuke, "all those bonds I made in Konoha are broken. The only use you have for me now is as a measuring stick to test my capacity. You are strong Naruto, but your strength comes from your hate just like me. You hate the village for not accepting you; you hate the fact that you're always alone; and you hate me for betraying you. However, the origin of the hate is irrelevant; the fact that you hate is enough, and the more you hate, strife, and fuel the fire of rage within you, the stronger you become. That is the true way of the ninja!" he shouted, the echo reverberating throughout the warehouse.

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Naruto could not believe what he was hearing. 'Only a measuring stick?' he thought, 'that's all I am anymore.' _The amazing bond formed between you two will come back full force as long as you don't give up on Sasuke. I'm sure he'll come back into the fold someday. _Thickbrows' words came back to him full force. A fire began to burn within Naruto, he could feel the red chakra flow through his body, changing him. His hair grew long and wild, his teeth were bared and sharp. His fingernails grew into claws and the whisker marks on the sides of his cheeks grew longer and wider. His eyes turned into slits that burned straight into Sasuke. 'No thickbrows', thought Naruto, 'there is no more bond. Sasuke is gone, only this hate-filled demon is left. He is the cause of my pain, my suffering.' "If hate and pain are truly what makes you strong," cried Naruto, "than I will show you true power today!!"

Naruto charged at Sasuke, the pain and suffering he felt overwhelming him as he jumped at him, his claws reared and his fangs bared.

He charged forwards, his footsteps leaving permanent marks in the steel floor. Sasuke sidestepped his charge easily and took his position upon a stack of boxes in the corner. Naruto's feet squealed against the floor as he stopped his charge and stared at Sasuke. His Sharingan was activated now, the red, three dotted eyes staring at him. Sasuke smiled slightly as Naruto charged again, his voice emitting a huge growl as he dived forward, crashing into the boxes. Sasuke leapt off the boxes and landed gracefully on the floor. Naruto clawed his way out to see Sasuke laughing slightly and baiting him to attack.

Naruto crossed his fingers, "KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!!" he screamed as a hundred clones crowded in building, surrounding Sasuke. Every one was growling like a dog, their fangs bared, ready to tear into Sasuke. However, Sasuke simply flicked his hair form his eyes and smiled at Naruto, still baiting him forward, to attack.

Suddenly, every clone dived for Sasuke, creating a huge dust cloud in the middle of the building and making a large crash that was echoed out of the building; the impact breaking the windows and prying boards loose from the walls.

Sasuke jumped straight into the air, forcing himself from the dust cloud. He inverted his body parallel with the floor and began performing hand seals while in midair. "Suijin-Heki Suiton," he yelled, as a river of water streamed forth from his mouth, drenching the clones and the floor beneath them. Naruto looked up at Sasuke, who was now standing on the rafters, the blast of water having carried him up to the high ceiling of the building. Naruto scowled at him, 'Damn, I haven't even hit him yet,' he thought.

Sasuke was smiling maliciously at him. "You're still strong Naruto," he said from above, his voice sardonic, "but you're not on my level." He began to perform hand seals again, "Raidon Reku-Daan!" His hand grew white and suddenly a bolt of lightning sprung forth from it, connecting with the floor below and scattering it across the water drenched floor.

Naruto felt a searing pain shoot through him, burning every inch of his body, intensifying as time passed. He heard the slight pop of the clones disappearing and fell to his knees in pain until the jutsu was finally stopped. Steam was coming off of his body and his breathing was becoming labored.

"Just as I thought," said Sasuke, his voice demeaning, "you're not even close to my level. Your hatred for me is no where near the loathing I have for my brother. Only through this hate, can you possibly ascertain the power I have now."

Naruto had heard enough. The burns on his body slowly healed together. He stood up, his nostrils flaring, his eyes wide with rage. Every breath he exhaled sounded like an inhuman growl. "You want fury!?" Naruto yelled, "I'LL SHOW YOU FURY!!!!" He charged at Sasuke at breakneck speed.

Sasuke quickly began to transform into his curse seal mode. They charged at each other, each step vibrating the ground they stood on. They were feet form each other, then inches. A gigantic explosion rocked the building they were fighting in and dust and debris filled the air.

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Julius watched the explosion in the distance. He had felt a gigantic force in this area; he had never even sensed this kind of power from an outsider. It was coming from two sources, with very different and terrible chakras. Julius watched from a distance, nonchalantly, but impressed with the power he was feeling.

"This must be the Uchiha," he thought. He jumped from roof to roof coming closer to the abandoned industrial district that he was feeling this from.

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The smoke from the impact finally cleared, but Naruto felt that he didn't hit anything, nor did he feel anything hit him from the front. Instead, he was now laying on the ground as powerful arms were wrapped around him, restraining his movements. He struggled against the grasp, but the person was extremely strong.

"That's enough Naruto," came a familiar voice, "this is not the time for such a confrontation.

Gai was laying on top of him, shoving his face into the ground, his arms locked around Naruto with a vice-like grip. He looked very distraught, and somewhat angered. Sasuke was still standing, reverting back to normal while Kakashi stood to the side looking at the two.

"Do not forget what Tsunade-sama said Naruto," continued Gai, "If the Hidden Cloud were to find out about this they would not be pleased, and the Hokage would have a much tougher time getting a treaty."

Naruto didn't care about any of that. Rage was still coursing through his body, wanting to pummel Sasuke into a bloody pulp. "LET ME GO!!" he screamed. A sharp, hard pain came across his neck and then darkness consumed him.

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Kakashi watched as Gai hit Naruto across the back of the neck, causing his body to go limp. "Sorry Naruto," said Gai, "but nothing can be accomplished from this premature engagement."

Kakashi's attention then turned to Sasuke who was standing with a very disappointed and slightly bored expression on his face. "A timely interference," Sasuke said, "you're lucky you didn't get in my way though." Kakashi scowled inwardly at Sasuke.

"Gai," said Kakashi, "take Naruto back to the hotel and calm him down."

Gai lifted Naruto up on his shoulder and looked slightly anxious at Kakashi, "Don't do anything brash Kakashi."

"You know me."

"That's what I mean."

Kakashi shot Gai a dirty look. Gai nodded at Kakashi and then sped off back towards the residential area. Kakashi's focus returned to Sasuke who returned his gaze. "Its been quite a while Kakashi-sensei," said Sasuke, the arrogance reeking from his voice.

Kakashi said nothing. The anger flowed through him but he kept it under control. He turned to leave and follow Gai. "You were wrong you know," said Sasuke.

Kakashi looked back at him. "You said I would no longer grow," continued Sasuke, "that I would never defeat my brother if I embraced the curse seal. You lied; I have grown stronger than I have ever been, and under Orochimaru's tutelage I continue to develop. I understand now that the only thing Konoha ever did for me was hold me back from my true potential. You preach your blind faiths in friendship, compassion, family, but when it comes to real power, it is only done alone, with only one's hate to keep him warm."

Kakashi turned to stare at Sasuke. "At any other place, in any other time," he said, his tone level but still malicious, "I would kill you where you stand."

Sasuke laughed openly, "Do you think you could?" said Sasuke, his voice baiting Kakashi, "I have already surpassed your greatest weapon," changing his eyes to reveal the three dot Sharingan within them.

Kakashi smiled slightly, "It's true that your amazing eyes surpass my single one," he said, "but I think you may place a little too much stock in those eyes of yours Sasuke."

Sasuke furrowed his brow, "What are you talking about," he said, "these eyes and this seal will be my keys to destroying my brother completely."

Kakashi turned his back to Sasuke and went to leave, "I will say this before I go Sasuke," he said, "of all the mysteries and powers that exist in this world, your Sharingan is truly great. But some powers exist in this world that cannot be conquered alone, no matter what tools you may possess. The lonely road you take now is only leading you to an early grave Sasuke; I truly hope you realize that before it's too late."

Kakashi left Sasuke alone there and followed Gai back to the hotel, jumping from roof to roof. He suddenly stopped, his single eye showing wide. He looked around himself, only seeing darkness. 'There's that feeling again,' he thought. He looked around, standing very still, attempting to find the source of the feeling. 'This is odd,' he continued, 'I guess I can only hope it's still just residual.'

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Sasuke scoffed at Kakashi's words, "What does he know," he thought, "he's just trying to mess with my mind." He began to slowly walk out of the building, going down the alleys he had led Naruto down originally. Something was bothering him, a feeling like someone was watching him. He looked skyward, 'Whoever it is," he thought, "he's keeping himself well hidden." Sasuke continued to walk, looking for signs of his watcher. Finally, he came to a dead end alley. "Alright," he said, "whoever you are, show yourself now. I'm tired of you following me." He waited for a moment and then heard a slight drop in the darkness behind him. He turned around suddenly and readied himself for battle, going into his fighting stance.

He heard footsteps slowly getting closer to him, echoing in the darkness until a strange looking person finally appeared in the light. He was a few inches taller than Sasuke and was dressed completely in white, with a gold trim around the edges of his loose robe and pants. He looked to be no more than thirteen despite his size. His hair was streaked white and black and it cascaded down the sides of his face. His face was expressionless, his stance loose.

He spoke with a very cold and inflectionless tone, "Interesting that you've spotted me Uchiha Sasuke," he said.

"You know me?" asked Sasuke.

A slight chuckle passed through the stranger's lips before becoming stoic once again. "Intimately," he said, "I have been told everything about you Uchiha Sasuke, from the lips of the man who holds my leash."

Sasuke's brow furrowed in confusion, "Who the hell is this guy,' he thought. "Who is your master?"

"All in good time Uchiha," replied the stranger, "I am here to gauge your strength, nothing more. We are very interested if your master's stories about your 'unsurpassable strength'."

"He's not my master," said Sasuke indignantly, "and if you're here to gauge my strength then you're a fool. I could kill some piece of crap like you in a few minutes."

The stranger's eyes widened and his mouth seemed to curl in a smile though he tried desperately to hide it. "How spirited he is," said the stranger, "We all serve a master Uchiha Sasuke, even if it is not a corporeal one. In my case, I am the weapon which punishes the wicked who would oppose us. I am a divine cleanser which destroys the impure souls that would destroy the utopia we seek to create."

"What are you babbling about," said Sasuke.

The stranger quickly regain his composure and became stoic again. "It seems like I have failed in my mission. But I have gauged your strength somewhat. The examination will be interesting Uchiha Sasuke; I do hope you show me the power you possess. It will simply be disappointing otherwise." The stranger then went back into the shadows and into the night which slowly swept over the village as the grey sky turned to black.

A/N: I don't speak Japanese at all, so I just kind of made up the names for Sasuke's jutsus out of what I saw in the manga. Sorry if it doesn't make sense but I'm not even close to fluent.


	16. Part 32: Fueling the Fire

Part 3.3: Fueling the Fire

Naruto felt the water slowly lap against his face. He opened his eyes to see that half of his face was in the water. 'Where am I,' he thought. The place smelled dingy and rotten, an ancient place, but it had a very familiar smell to it. He got to his knees, and then to his feet. The water was at least ankle deep and very cold. He stood straight up and got a better view of his surroundings. Pipes and cables traveled along the ceiling of a very high roof. The place contained a dull light whose source Naruto could not pinpoint.

Naruto felt a presence behind him, one of such overwhelming evil he actually shuddered in its presence. He turned around to find himself staring at a gigantic gate with a single emblem marked 'seal' in the middle of it. "I know this place," he said aloud, "this is where I was during the training with that pervert." He looked deeper into the gate and heard a low growl. Suddenly, a horrible laughter shook the entire area, making the water ripple and the roof crumble slightly.

"**Now that was pathetic boy," **came a voice from inside the gate. It laughed mockingly at Naruto, shaking the room yet again. **"You humans amuse me so very much, clinging desperately to what you've lost. Denial is such a typical human response, so like your kind to not accept the reality all around you." **A face then appeared at the gate, like a red fire with two, great, unblinking eyes and a fanged mouth that was curled in a very sinister smile.

"Kyuubi," said Naruto, "What the hell are you talking about you damned fox!?"

"**Truly this is hell,"** said the Kyuubi, **"to be placed in such an incredibly worthless and idiotic bag of flesh. He's right you know; your hate is not nearly substantial enough to truly surpass him."**

"What do you know," screamed Naruto, "that's not the way of the ninja. My nindo isn't like that at all. My nindo-"

"**Is flawed," **interrupted the Kyuubi**, "What you desire, acceptance, love, friendship and what you truly need, power, cannot be gotten in the same manner. In fact, you cannot have both. In the end, the Uchiha child is quite correct, the strife, malice, and anger you hold within you is truly your greatest weapon."**

Naruto looked away from the Kyuubi, 'He's wrong,' thought Naruto, 'protecting the people precious to me is truly-'

"**I am not wrong boy," **said the Kyuubi, making Naruto look back at him in surprise, **"When have you felt your strongest, Hm? When your emotions are at their most heightened; when the fury overwhelms you like a blaze, rushing an indescribable energy through your body. Your anger, it's like divine nectar to me," **The Kyuubi opened its mouth slightly, allowing a long tongue to trace a circle around his mouth in a loud slurping sound. **"Only by feeding this rage within you will you truly surpass everyone and have every person on this planet give you the acknowledgement you so richly wish for, and deserve. You do believe you deserve it no?"**

Naruto did not know how to answer. It was true that he felt his strongest when he gave into the rage so deep within himself, but this demon was also one of the evilest beings ever to exist. 'Is it trying to trick me," he thought, "but, what if he's right. What if I can only achieve that power through my anger, like Sasuke said? Is what Sasuke said true? "I...I don't want it like that," said Naruto, his voice very soft, almost like a whisper. He could feel the conflicting thoughts within his head battling out a decision.

"**Why not," **asked the Kyuubi, **"You may consider me evil, but what can I do in this situation. You are in control, not I. You are my...master, and I am only a tool to use to achieve your goals, nothing more. So what will it be child, will you keep living the lie that true power comes from the people around you, or will you accept the fact that your 'nindo' lies elsewhere, within the bottomless, black pit that is your soul? What is it going to be boy?" **

Naruto was confused beyond belief. His mind rattled, bouncing a decision back and forth between two opposing sides. "I want to be strong," he said, "but I don't want everyone to look at me like that." His mind raced back to his childhood, the eyes of every adult showing malice and fear towards him. "But those precious people to me..." his mind raced back to images of Kakashi, Sakura, Iruka, Sasuke...Sasuke. "Every bond I made in Konoha is broken," Sasuke's voice rang in his head. 'Why,' he thought, 'I just don't understand it. Was this the only way to gain power? Was Sasuke and the Kyuubi right? Nothing made sense anymore. "Go away, damned fox," said Naruto, his voice very weak.

"**Very well boy," **said the Kyuubi, **"think it over. But remember this may be your last chance, the last opportunity you'll have to ever show Sasuke, nay, the entire village that you are stronger. The path to true power leads straight through me child; I do suggest you take it."**

The world around him began crashing down, and Naruto once again slipped into darkness.

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Raan walked through the snow; the darkness was very thick now, and the lights inside houses and on the streets allowed for the only illumination. Raan's shadow stayed in front of him, showing his presence down the street. The embers at the end of his cigarette shone brightly despite that it was only midday. He smoked lazily as he walked on towards the hospital, passing people still going about their daily lives, moving from store to store, crunching the snow underfoot, and leaving a large trail of footprints from place to place. 'I feel so out of place here anymore,' he thought, 'these happy and productive people going about their daily lives and here I am harboring two monsters who's only pleasure is the destruction and maiming of everything and everyone.' He sighed deeply, blowing out of fine stream of smoke that billowed in the air before disappearing in the black sky.

He walked on, and the sound of the bustling crowd grew farther away until there was scarcely a trace of humanity. He looked up ahead and saw his target; he had promised Kimiko he would meet her on the fourth floor of the hospital around this time. The building itself was ancient; a plain brick building that was very weathered and beaten, showing signs of the weather. Snow caked the entire building, into the cracks of the bricks, making them grow larger; it almost looked dilapidated. However, this building had once been an old fort used here in the beginning of the Hidden Cloud. Raan smiled slightly at the thought of his ancestors, bravely defending the Hidden Cloud from the barbaric invaders that threatened to destroy their sovereignty, or so the stories told of Izou Dao and Izou Kai.

Raan walked up the stone steps and walked into the hospital. It gave off a very warm atmosphere and was well lit everywhere, having its own electric spire. There was very little noise as it seemed to be slow night. A nurse was sleeping, her head rested upon her crossed hands on the desk in front of her. She dozed slightly, mumbling slightly in her sleep.

"Umm," said Raan, pulling a small slip of paper from his vest, "could you tell me where room 425 is?"

The nurse did not answer, but stayed in her doleful slumber.

"Excuse me," said Raan, a bit annoyed this time. He shook the nurse gently attempting to arouse her from whatever catatonic state she was in.

She awoke with a start, bumping Raan's chin with her head on the way back to a straightened position. Raan groaned slightly and rubbed his chin while the nurse rubber her head.

"Sorry," said the nurse, "it's just such a slow night. Were you asking something?"

Raan shot her an irritated look, "Do you know where room 425 is?" he asked.

She looked up thoughtfully for a second before answering, "4th floor, and turn to your left.

"Thanks," said Raan, still slightly annoyed. The hospital was unusually quiet and besides the nurse at the front desk, he did not see a single employee. "Are you the only one here," he asked.

The nurse shook her head, "No," she said, "it's just kind of a slow night; most of the doctors have gone home. The only floor that's active is the one where the patients need constant care or surveillance, on the fourth floor."

'Why would Kimiko want to meet me there,' thought Raan. "Alright," he said, "thanks."

He left down the hallway only to hear the random mumblings of the nurse as she dozed off again. He sighed to himself and began to ascend the stairs leading to the 4th floor. Without the busy sounds of the hospital, the clanging of his boots against he metal steps sounded rather loud, echoing in the corridor as the dull thud reverberated against the walls, causing his ears to tremble slightly. As he passed the doors leading to the other floors, it seemed that the lights off inside each were off as well; 'I guess the nurse was right,' thought Raan. Finally, he reached the door marked for the 4th floor. He expected to hear the familiar sound of a hospital busy at work with people moving back and forth issuing orders and documenting cases. However, he heard nothing as he approached; the lights did not even shine under the door. Raan wore a perplexed expression as he slowly opened the doors to the 4th floor, revealing nothing but darkness. It appeared as though only some of the lights were working, illuminating only a few square feet in the darkness, hiding everything else within.

Raan looked down the hallways for some signs of life or movement, whether it be Kimiko or some random personnel. "Hello," he called down the hallways, nothing but his own cavernous echo to answer him back. He felt apprehensive again and quickly drew another cigarette from his vest, a nervous habit. He pulled out the lighter and allowed sparks to fly outwards before a flame finally lit. He moved the flame closer to the cigarette held between his teeth, only for a liquid from above to extinguish the flame. A perplexed look crossed his face as he moved the lighter closer to a flickering light. Some kind of red liquid had extinguished the flame. 'What the hell,' thought Raan. Suddenly, a horrible thought crossed his mind. He quickly dried off the lighter and re-struck it, holding it closer to the ceiling. He could only see a face up on the ceiling, a doctor of middle age, his glasses were askew, broken, and blood was dripping slowly from his mouth to hit the floor below him with a small splash.

Raan looked frantically around for a switch, the lighter's small flame illuminating only a small area. After a frantic search, he finally flicked the switch on. Everything overhead quickly illuminated in a bright light; bulbs cracked and broke, exploding, showing sparks on Raan. However, the light was sufficient to see a doctor, hanging from the ceiling, completely eviscerated, a look of horror stuck on his face. Raan matched his look as a feeling of déjà vu overwhelmed him. 'Set', he thought, his eyes wide, the cigarette slipping from his open mouth. He looked at the door in front of him. '400, 401, 402,' he thought, 'this way!' He went into a sprint in the direction of room 425.

The carnage seemed to increase as he got further; nurses and doctors were strung to the walls with shurikens and kunai, arranged in odd positioning reflecting Set's macabre sense of art. Blood was strewn across the hallways, sometimes placed delicately in certain areas, showing an odd sense of purpose. Raan followed the corpses to room 425. He quickly looked inside, his breathing hard and his heart racing. This room looked undisturbed, except the sheets on a bed were slightly misarranged. "Kimiko!" he yelled, praying for a response, hoping that she wasn't with the dead. He then heard a sharp whistling through the air followed by a dull thud of something sticking in wood. Raan rushed in the direction of the sound.

He finally came to a pair of ornate double doors, each depicting some scene from the history of the Thunder Country involving Izou Dao and Izou Kai. He burst through the doors and almost threw up at the scene of carnage. Most of the floor's residents had been placed here, in large pews. All were looking skyward, blood slowly dribbling from their mouths, their eyes open, lifeless. Raan moved forward through the congregation of dead, down the center hallway. All of the residents had their hands placed together, in a mock prayer service. A large wooden statue of Izou Kai stood in the middle of the area; something had been tied to it using hospital sheets. Raan could see it struggling and was relieved that at least something was still alive in this place. He walked closer and finally saw Set, half of his body hidden in the candlelight, half black and half red. The red part on his glistened in the light, the ornate metal on his suit reflecting the congregation behind him, their lifelessness transfixed on his clothing. Set slowly turned his head around to see Raan as he idly span a kunai on his finger. He had a very bored expression on his face; Raan had always been amazed at how clean Set was despite the blood that seemed to his art as very little blood attached to him.

"Oh," said Set, with a slight, mock surprise in his voice, "what are you doing here swine?" He threw the Kunai towards the statue, coming mere centimeters from the face of a little girl that was tied to it.

"Stop it Set!" yelled Raan, his voice firm, but his heart beating very fast.

Set turned around completely this time, a very repugnant look on his face. "You order me?" he said, laughing slightly, "I think you're forgetting your place dog. Perhaps I should put you back in it." Set charged at Raan so fast that Raan did not have time to respond. He slammed him against the stone wall. Raan could feel his ribs crack underneath the pressure Set was placing on him. Set smiled slightly, "As much fun as breaking you is," he said, "I am growing bored with it. Slaughtering the worthless masses of this damned city does get old after some time," he quickly pulled a kunai from his belt and hurled it at the girl again, cutting her cheek slightly as it hit the wood with a dull thud, "so I have to get creative."

Raan said nothing. He could feel the blood rising in his throat as the stench of death overwhelmed him, the musty scent of the wood along with the copper taste of the blood. 'It's always like this,' he thought, 'so much death, and every time I'm helpless to prevent it. He could kill me at any moment if he wanted to...wait a minute, why hasn't he killed me?" The expression on Raan's face turned to puzzlement, and then his eyes widened as an idea began to form in his head.

"Well, it has been fun," said Set sardonically, "but I must finish this little excursion up before more of the maggots of this town grow suspicious." He slowly walked towards the statue, "Now," he said, his voice containing a slight hint of hunger in it. He cracked his knuckles excitedly as he slowly approached the little girl who was struggling in vain, "how should we finish this."

"Stop Set," said Raan, his voice weak, but still audible. Set paid him no heed and continued to walk methodically towards his target. "Stop, or else," continued Raan, his heart beating faster now, his breathing heavily labored as he held his cracked ribs with one arm.

This last statement caught Set's attention. He slowly turned on his heel until he was facing Raan again. "Or else what," he said, a slight look of amusement on his face.

Raan pulled a kunai from his belt, his movements slow and deliberate. He pointed the kunai at Set and then held it to his own neck. Set raised an eyebrow and chuckled loudly, "I hardly see how that is a threat," said Set.

"Oh but it is isn't it," said Raan, his voice soft, but very powerful, "I've wondered this past year why after every little talk we've had, you haven't killed me? Is it just because you have so much fun tormenting me? No, that's not it. Its something else isn't it?"

Set did not respond, but the smile was slowly fading from his face and there was a definite look of fury in his eyes.

Set's expression was all the proof Raan needed, "That's it. Its not that you won't kill me, it's that you can't isn't it?"

Set's hands clutched into fists, his eyes blazed, staring bullets at Raan, but he said nothing.

Raan's bloodied lips formed into a slight smile, "Every caretaker you've had lasted maybe a few days, a week a most. Suddenly, I'm here for an entire year," he said, his voice mocking Set slightly, enraging him further, "You've been ordered not to kill me haven't you, and I know that even if you don't listen to me, you do obey the Raikage no matter how much you may hate him. And with your little stunt here, you'll be blamed for my death as well, and we can't have that can we?"

Set was shaking with fury now, his face turned a deep shade of red as the intense anger seethed out of him like a fire. His teeth bared, and he growled slightly.

"So who's the pathetic one now Set," asked Raan, "you may call me dog, swine, trash, but in reality, you're the one on the leash; you're the one being controlled," Raan was laughing now, whether it was out of terror, nervousness, or general amusement he could not tell, but he was laughing loudly, "who's really the pathetic one eh? It's you Set!"

Set snarled and charged at him, ramming him full force against the stone wall, sending cracks throughout it. He dug his fingers in Raan's abdomen. Raan clenched his teeth as he felt Set's fingers penetrate his flesh. "You think this is amusing," roared Set, "You think this is entertaining? How dare you look down upon me! I am a god compared to you pieces of filth that populate this area like cockroaches!"

"So then god," said Raan, his voice weak, but mocking slightly, "finish me off. You can do it...can't you?" A smile was still on Raan's face despite the pain that he was feeling all across his body. Blood slowly trickled down his curved lips, running down his neck. Set was millimeters from his face, his hot breath rolling into Raan's face through his jagged, clenched teeth. Raan's gaze did not shift, and he simply stared into Set's red eyes.

Set seemed to be contemplating many possible decisions in his head; his breathing was quickening, and his eyes shifted all across the room, looking from Raan, to the little girl, to the one kunai still attached to his belt, to the kunai Raan still held shakily across his neck.

Set roared with rage and frustration as he retracted his hand from Raan's belly and threw his last kunai at the little girl. It whistled through the air, traveling straight towards her. The girl closed her eyes in anticipation only for the kunai to hit only a few centimeters from the top of her head.

Set breathed heavily, his body still shaking with rage. "You think you've won," said Set, "You think you've outsmarted me you stupid bastard!? There are more ways to cause you pain than simply hurting you physically! I can exploit them," his voice was full of malice, but a hint of desperation still was still in it, "That little bitch you love so much, I can take her apart piece by piece right in front of you. Slowly, delicately, taking hours upon hours while you watch helplessly-"

"The same threat still applies," said Raan, holding the kunai closer to his neck, "I know your methods Set; I could recreate them, and frame you for my own suicide. I can see the fear in your eyes Set; you know you can't kill the Raikage. You're too weak!" he added with emphasis, the rage and frustration towards Set finally being allowed to explode. Blood trickled across and down his stomach and dribbled from his mouth, but he didn't care. He smiled triumphantly at Set, "Kill anyone I love, anyone in the village, or anyone at all, and you'll face him. I don't know why I'm under his protection, but as long as I am, you're not in control." He grinned widely now, the blood staining his teeth.

Set looked as though he could explode. He shook furiously; his hands arranged in claws, imitating ripping Raan to pieces, "This is not over," said Set maliciously, "I will have your head for this Raan. If you know me, then you know that the Raikage can't keep me caged forever. My brother and I will grow stronger than him eventually, and then, you're mine you cocky, little bastard."

"Until then I guess," said Raan, his voice finally showing the effects of the extreme punishment he had been taking. Set snarled at him one last time before running full force into a stained glass window, shattering it and diving to the outside, onto the street. Raan could hear his footsteps crunching in the snow echo away as he retreated from the building.

Raan rose to his feet gingerly, the kunai still in his hand. He slowly approached the girl tied to the statue. He cut her bonds, using what little strength he had left and collapsed on the floor. He looked straight up into the air, the face of Izou Kai looking down on him. 'Finally ancestor,' he thought, 'I protected this village just like you haven't I. Izou Raan, guardian of the Thunder' laughing weakly at the thought. He heard the doors burst open again and heard Kimiko's panicking voice calling to him. Her face was the last thing he saw before the world grew black, and he passed out.

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Naruto opened his eyes slowly, allowing the room to come into focus. The lights were bright here and he was looking directly into one. He was on his back, something comfortable underneath him. He slowly sat up, rubbing his head and looked around the room. It was very ornate having gold emblazoned upon nightstands and frames. The bed he was sitting on was quite comfortable, a deep purple in color with the Thunder Country's insignia on it.

Naruto rubbed his temples; his head felt like it had been split open and reassembled and a nagging pain stood out on his neck. His mind was very foggy when suddenly everything came rushing back to him, the meeting with Sasuke, them going in for a final attack, Gai interfering. His temper rose again as he jumped from the bed and bolted towards the door.

"Where do you think you're going," came a slightly annoyed voice from behind him. TenTen was sitting on the bed, watching him idly.

"None of your business," he responded, trying to keep his voice level. He slowly turned the knob of the door before TenTen's hand quickly stopped him.

"Gai left you here thinking you'd be out for the rest of the night," she said, "He wants you to stay here. He said he was going out on some errand, and he told me to make sure you don't leave the room. So, whatever late night excursion you've got planned, you're going to have to-"

Naruto slapped her hand away and pushed her against the wall. TenTen had a shocked look on her face as she braced herself against the hotel's wall. Naruto felt a pang of guilt wash over him. "Sorry," he said, before quickly storming out of the room.

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'What INSOLENCE,' thought Set as he made his way further down the alley? He passed by bums and hobos on his way through, effectively maiming each of them with a single movement, breaking bones and bleeding them, but not killing them. 'Raan will not get away with this. I am not a dog; no one controls me. That BASTARD will die a SLOW and PAINFUL DEATH!!' He thought as he drove his hand almost straight through one of the vagrants he came across, forcing him against a near wall. Set walked onward, wiping the blood against his suit. The blood refused to stick and merely trickled off towards the ground. He walked onward towards more populated areas of the city...

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Naruto walked amongst the many people going about their daily lives in Thunder Capitol, overhearing conversations about the latest styles, who was doing what, having to get some place on time, children begging their parents for toys and games. His mind was foggy and voices drifted in and out. He clasped his hands over his ears, trying to drown out the noise. His head pounded; he could hear every individual step through the snow, every word spoken. 'Make it stop,' he thought. His mind still pounded from the events earlier in the day. He walked onward, into a dark alley, bracing himself against a far wall as he attempted to clear his head. The Kyuubi's and Sasuke's words were still ringing inside of him, breaking every attempt to shunt his mind out. He breathed heavily and closed his eyes, trying to regain focus, but every time he attempted it, only anger came forth. 'Its just like the Kyuubi said,' thought Naruto, 'my anger is seething; its like I can't control it. No, I've got to try; I can't let it overwhelm me. I can't-" Naruto felt a sharp pain drive itself into his stomach before he could finish the thought. He collapsed to the ground, coughing as he slowly opened his eyes. He could hear heavy boots crunching the snow underneath and looked up to see a stranger dressed in a very odd red material. He was breathing heavily as well, the air in front of him condensing quickly so that it appeared steam was streaming from his nostrils. The stranger walked farther into the crowd. Naruto's teeth bared, his anger was rising to the surface again.

"What the hell do you think you're doing you stupid prick!?" yelled Naruto.

The stranger turned around completely, facing Naruto eye to eye. Naruto looked into his eyes; they were a dark red, with odd, crisscrossing, black lines through them. The stranger dwarfed Naruto as he looked down at him. Naruto did not back down, but merely returned his gaze, rage consuming him once again...

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Set looked down at the small man in front of him. His hair was a very stark blonde that spiked into the air, under which a Leaf head protector lay. His eyes were very blue, but seemed to be turning a shade of red as they continued to stare at each other. He wore a very odd, orange jumpsuit that covered his entire body except for his shinobi sandals.

'No one from this village,' thought Set. He smiled slightly, 'Well, this boy doesn't apply I guess,' he thought as he grabbed the boy by the throat and slammed him against he brick wall. The smaller ninja grabbed his arm with both hands and struggled against Set's grasp.

"You picked the wrong day to insult me boy," said Set, his voice malicious, his tongue lolling out slightly in anticipation.

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Naruto watched as the odd looking stranger licked his lips, making a slight slurping sound. Naruto attempted to wretch his hand from his neck, but only struggled futily in his grasp. The stranger was extremely strong, placing a tremendous amount of pressure on his throat.

"**Do it."**

Naruto could feel the rage welling within him; his anger fueling a burning passion inside of him.

"**Do it!"**

The red chakra was flowing though him now, changing him. His hair grew longer and claws and fangs transformed his body. He felt less human now, more beastly than before. His mind was clear; his only goal now was to cause as much pain to this stranger as possible. To crush him until nothing was left...

"**DO IT!!"**

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Set's look suddenly turned into shock as the small ninja let forth a tremendous amount of power, startling nearby citizens and actually knocking some off their feet. Set raised his free hand to his face, attempting to block it away. Suddenly, the Leaf's hand sprung forward and twisted Set's arm violently. Set released his grip, growling painfully. His eyes caught a movement to his right as a fist connected with his cheek knocking him with the force of a thunder bolt, the bone of the knuckle cracking against Set's jaw.

He soared through the air into the streets, knocking down passers by as they screamed and quickly attempted to get out of his way. He landed in the snow with a thud, rubbing his cheek to dull the pain. He saw a shadow move quickly in front of him only to see the blond genin charge forward, his face more akin to a beast's than before, drive a strong kick to his chin, knocking him into a glass display in a store behind him, eliciting more shrieks from the crowd who stopped with morbid curiosity to watch the combatants. Set shattered the glass and broke the small displays. He finally came to his senses, his red eyes, opening and his teeth bared. 'So,' he thought, 'the midget wants to play does he?'

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Naruto charged forward, his clawed hands forward, ready to tear the stranger apart from where he lay. Suddenly, the stranger sat straight up and delivered a monstrous punch to the Naruto's face, sending him sprawling across the snow, finally stopping against a fence, cracking it slightly. Naruto quickly recovered himself, but the stranger was on top of him again, grabbing him from behind by his orange jumpsuit and hurling him into a brick wall, causing a huge crack to fill the air along with debris and dust. Naruto pulled himself up to see the stranger in the air, ready to drive a knee into him. Naruto quickly dodged, only for the stranger to leave a large, gaping hole where Naruto was previously.

"Impressive," said the stranger, his tone harsh and very malicious. Naruto took to his battle stance again; ready to rip the stranger to shreds.

"My name is Set," said the stranger, licking his lips with a very long tongue, "I guess your mortal ears should hear the name of the destroyer who will send you to the next world." Naruto bared his teeth further, ready for an attack.

Set charged forward, moving from side to side with blinding speed attempting to throw Naruto off balance. He finally drove a knee into Naruto's gut, knocking the wind out of him. However, Naruto clenched his arms around Set's leg and pulled it outright. He pulled on his leg violently, causing Set to wince slightly, before driving him into the snowy ground. Naruto still grasped Set's leg and threw him overhead again, slamming him into the ground, leaving a deep imprint in the snow. The people around them shuddered and screamed slightly, but did not run away, instead wishing to see how the fight would turn out. Naruto finally threw Set away, hearing him land with a dull thud a few meters away. Naruto charged again, his hands balled into fists, ready to pummel Set into oblivion.

Set looked up at him only for Naruto to land with both of his feet on Set's arms, pinning him down. Naruto threw a flurry of punches at Set, targeting both his face and chest as he heard the repeated cracking of his bone against his opponents. Set growled in pain. Naruto threw his arms outward, looking to shred Set to ribbons

Set threw his legs up suddenly, and caught Naruto by the arms, bending the backs of his knees over his arms, locking them in place. He then bent his back violently and quickly, driving his own legs into the ground along with Naruto's head. Naruto felt the impact shudder down his spine. He pulled his head from the ground with only enough time to see Set rear back a giant kick and deliver it straight into his own face, knocking him backwards into the crowd, who shifted quickly to allow him room to fall.

Naruto shook his head slightly, opening his eyes to see his opponent fall straight on top of him feet first. Set then proceeded to stomp Naruto farther into the ground, each kick rebounding through the rest of his body. Naruto swung his arms outward, tripping Set and sending him backwards only to land steadily on his feet. Naruto flipped backwards and resumed his battle stance.

Set smile slightly and waved Naruto forward with one finger, taunting him to attack. Naruto roared and charged forward only for Set to duck down and grab his arm tightly. Naruto saw Set dive two fingers in under his armpit, breaking the skin. Naruto yelled in pain as he felt Set's fingers drive into his flesh. Naruto broke Set's grip and landed once again on his feet, holding his underarm. Set laughed mockingly at Naruto only for his expression to change to surprise as Naruto's wound healed itself quickly.

"That's a neat trick," said Set. Naruto smiled a foxish grin, revealing his jagged fangs, before charging forward again. Set threw a punch forward attempting to connect with Naruto's face. Naruto rolled underneath and leapt towards Set's face, digging his claws into his flesh and scraping the claws across the bone underneath, causing blood to spurt all across the snow and Set himself. Naruto landed on his feet to admire his handiwork.

Set clutched his face, howling with pain. However, his howling soon turned to laughter as he revealed his grotesque face, the blood trickling down his body suit, which trickled down to the snow. All of the sudden, the bleeding stopped, and Set's wounds began to heal themselves again. Naruto stared wide-eyed as Set laughed maniacally.

"But it's not an original one," said Set.

They had fought their way into a very upscale part of town and were now in front of a very large, palace-like building. It was very large, with neon, flashing lights overhead, and lighting up the night-sky. Set baited Naruto forward, and took Naruto's charge full force in the stomach, breaking the wall behind them...

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"I think you're really going to enjoy your stay here Hokage-sama," said a very polite hostess at the front desk, "it was very nice of the Thunder Lord and Raikage to allow your party completely free room and board."

Tsunade nodded, a slightly malicious grin on her face. The hotel she had chosen was by far the best there was. Soft music filled the cavernous hall that was lit everywhere with crystal, jade chandeliers overhead, basking the area in green light. Very soft carpeting was underfoot, that was somehow pre-warmed, heating the air as well, giving the area a very warm and cozy feeling. Twin, white staircases went along the sides of the very spacious room. A gigantic fountain sat in the middle of the room, made out of marble and rare jewels, a trend in this country. It depicted the first Raikage in some scene of past battles. Well dressed and high class people flocked around the area, listening to the gentle flow of the music or laughing mirthlessly over some inane topic. Tsunade felt heavily out of place, 'but this hotel is famous for its world class casino,' she thought, a large smile going across her face. 'I'll just have to keep it on the down low.'

She was just about to sign in when a gigantic crash rocked the wall to the left, sending a shockwave that sent the room into chaos. Chandeliers swung from overhead, some even snapping violently from their perch and falling to the floor. Tsunade guarded herself as the cold air rushed in from the new hole placed in the wall to the left of her. Wind carried dust and debris across the area, forcing the nobles to scatter away from the area. Tsunade opened her eyes and looked in shock at the scene before her.

Naruto was extracting himself from a pile of debris in the corner of the room, his normally blue eyes a deep red, his teeth formed into fangs, his fingers claws; he looked more like a monster than a man. A few feet from him, a tall stranger was slowly getting to his feet. His hair was a red and black streak and his entire body seemed to be enveloped in a scaly, red suit. He turned around quickly and faced Naruto, a broad smile on his face revealing jagged teeth. "Come on swine," he shouted, "let me hear the symphony of your bones shattering in my hands!"

Naruto snarled and charged at the stranger. The man rolled onto his back and kicked both of his legs out, hitting Naruto square in the chest and sending him through the stairs in the far corner. The stranger then kipped up and charged at the spot where Naruto was...

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Set charged at the spot where the brat lay, laughing maniacally. Suddenly, the boy sprung up and charged at his stomach, knocking him against the back of the room, knocking the wind out of Set. The boy was on top of him now, his clawed hands clasped in a test of strength against his. "This is splendid," yelled Set, his voice filled with both excitement and fury, "the way your spirit is angered. It's like poetry in motion, something out of theater, I love it!"

"SHUT UP!" replied the Leaf nin, attempting to put more pressure on Set's hands. Set laughed maliciously and then sent the crown of his head straight into the genin's nose, knocking him backwards. Set maintained the vice-like grip he had on the genin's hands; he swung his leg backwards and delivered a monstrous kick to the genins chin, knocking him through the far room. The stone from the wall gave in, and the genin crashed through it, rattling everything in the room not nailed to the floor. Set jumped after, following through the hole the genin had made. Finally, the blond haired boy was in his sight, and he soared through the air, his fist in front of him driving it into the ground.

The genin rolled out of the way as Set's strike succeeded in only making an imprint upon the floor. Set looked to his right to see the genin charge at him, connecting a spinning kick with his face, knocking him through a door to his back with a snarl.

Set slammed through the doors, ripping the hinges off of them, finding himself in what appeared to be a lounge of sorts. People of high class were looking appalled at him as he brought himself to his feet and dusted himself off. An elongated bar sat in the corner of the room, the shelves stocked with a variety of liquors. The bartender looked at the entrance in horror as the genin rammed his fist into Set's stomach, knocking him against the far wall. Set recoiled slightly, clenching his teeth as the pain overwhelmed him, but he didn't mind, 'I crave this!' he thought.

The genin charged again, this time forcing his hand against Set's throat, attempting to crush his voice box. "This is truly great," said Set, his voice hoarse from the pressure the genin was putting on it, "I haven't had this much fun in some time. I do hope you last longer than the others." The genin only growled. Set grabbed the wrist of the hand against his throat and twisted violently. The genin roared in pain, throwing his head back. Set's eyes opened wide as he took the opportunity and slammed the palm of his other hand into the genin's chin, knocking him backwards. Set quickly grabbed the genin's leg while he was in midair and began to swing him in a circular motion. He went faster, and faster, until he and the genin only made a red-orange blur. Set then let him go in the direction of the bar, the centrifugal force carrying him quickly towards the corner. The bartender barely made it away in time as the cacophony of breaking glass and wood signaled that Set's throw had been accurate. Set charged towards the bar at blinding speed only for a liquor bottle to hit him square in the face, making him close his eyes for an instant as it broke against him. When he opened them again, the genin was charging through the air towards him, knocking Set once again on his back as they skidded to a halt against a far wall. The genin sunk his sharp teeth into Set's shoulder, making Set growl in pain. Set drove his fist against the genin's skull repeatedly until he finally let go, tearing part of Set's bodysuit with him. The genin shook his head back in forth, tearing the material to pieces like a dog would to its prey; he charged again, looking to dig his claws into Set's flesh. Set smiled broadly as he knocked his right arm against the floor with enough power to carry him into the air in a roll, narrowly avoiding the genin's charge. Set skidded on his feet as the blond-haired ninja charge again, his claws outstretched. Set was too quick this time, rebounding off the floor and driving a knee straight into the genin's head, sending him out a side wall and back into the room they came in.

'Splendid,' thought Set, 'he deserves something special.'

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Tsunade watched dumbfounded as Naruto came through the wall and splashed into the fountain, spilling its contents everywhere. "Naruto," she yelled.

"So," came a very malicious voice to the right of her, "your name is Naruto eh? I will remember it; a man of your strength deserves to have something carved into his tombstone." Tsunade looked at the man. The shoulder of his bodysuit had been ripped, revealing an odd black marking beneath it that seemed to continue past it down and around the rest of his body. Tsunade stared fixated on that spot, 'That looks like a seal,' she thought. Her mind quickly switched back to the present as Naruto brought himself up from the water with a roar that shook the foundation of the building itself.

"What amazing power," said the man, his voice excited. A long tongue lolled out of his mouth and circled around his lips, moistening them. "A man of your caliber does not deserve anything less than my absolute best. I admit, I have not been going all out on you yet, and for that I am sorry. But as I always say, it's so much more entertaining when you leave the surprises until the end." The man crossed his arms across his face and closed his odd red, criss-crossed eyes. The mark on his shoulder began to glow red and the entire room vibrated violently. Tsunade, finally realizing the situation, sprung towards Naruto.

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Naruto looked up at Set with an intense rage that seemed to only amplify as his battle went on. The room was shaking as a strange power was radiating from him. Naruto did not care, 'this bastard is dead, one way or anoth-' he didn't finish the thought.

"Spell of false sleep," came a familiar voice from behind him, and once again, he found darkness beginning to close in on him.

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Naruto collapsed into Tsunade's arms, his body finally reverting back to its normal state, his mouth slightly open in a sad frown. Tsunade cradled him up and placed him on her shoulder. She started for the door, "What do you think you're doing woman?" came an irate voice from behind her. She turned around to see the odd-looking man a few meters from her, the mark on his shoulder was black again and the room no longer vibrated. "We only got past the first few acts," said the man, his voice filled with a frustrated rage, "we were almost at the climax that would lead to the grand finale."

Tsunade looked at the man with a confused expression on her face, "I'm sorry for the trouble this one's caused you," she said, "but I don't think it would be wise for your battle to continue. Once again, please forgive me."

"I don't give a damn what you think woman," he shouted, "wake him back up and prepare him for battle, NOW!!"

Tsunade turned to face the stranger, her mindset ready for an attack. "Set, what do you think you're doing," came a voice from above them. Tsunade looked up to see another man she did not recognize come through the largest hole in the wall. He looked a year younger the other, around thirteen years old.

"Just having a bit of fun," replied the other, "until this, whore, interrupted it."

Tsunade looked darkly at him, her expression defiant. "That's the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf brother," said the younger, "Watch what you say."

The expression on the older one's face changed to a look of surprise. Tsunade smiled slightly, still readying herself for battle. She heard two people land beside her and found Kakashi and Gai on either side of her, ready to back her up. "Are you alright, Hokage-sama," said Gai.

"I'm fine," said Tsunade. She looked at the duo before her. They were a stark contrast, and the elder one was desperately attempting to hide the mark on his shoulder from her. Suddenly, the younger one bowed deeply to her, "I apologize Hokage-sama," came a cold, melancholy voice, "we did not mean to cause you such trepidation. Please forget what you saw here."

Tsunade was taken aback by this statement, but nodded, although she would not forget this carnage so soon, nor the words of the elder of the duo. Then, both bowed slightly in unison before taking off in the hole on the left side of the wall.

Tsunade sighed with relief, 'I guess I'll have to find new lodgings for tonight,' she thought to herself.

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Gai and Kakashi watched as Tsunade looked back at them, smiling slightly. "What happened here?" asked Gai.

"This one did," said Tsunade, her tone and expression very soft, "as did the elder of those two dressed in red."

Kakashi nodded and looked at Gai. Gai knew exactly what he was thinking, "Please take him back to my students' room in the eastern most hotel Hokage-sama. I don't want to trouble you but-"

"It's no problem," said Tsunade. She walked out of the hole and back towards the city. The sound of a crowd was now outside, and the chattering amongst them quickly increased as Tsunade came out with Naruto in her arms. The sound of police attempting to calm the situation was heard the loudest outside.

"There's no doubt about it," said Kakashi suddenly, "the feelings we've been getting. They're emanating from those two."

Gai nodded in agreement, "What do you think it means?" he asked, "Is it possible?"

"I hope not," said Kakashi, "I hope I'm wrong and this is all just some horrible mistake, but we have to assume the worst in this case. I'll keep a close eye on those two that we saw today. Well, just one day and we've already caused two international incidents; I hope this doesn't detriment Tsunade's hopes for peach." Gai nodded at Kakashi, but then stared down at the floor, a disappointed expression on his face.

"It seems I have failed as a teacher," said Gai solemnly, "I so wanted that boy to be strong, but I did not teach him the proper way to use his emotions. He seems so lost in his anger now."

"It's not your fault Gai," said Kakashi, "this was bound to happen, what with Sasuke being here and the bonds and feelings between them."

"NO," shouted Gai, starling Kakashi slightly, "I will make sure that something like this never happens again. I will strive harder with him and ensure that he learns the nindo properly. I will watch over him constantly making sure his youthful experiences are ones filled with pride and joy rather than anger and sorrow. To make sure that he is strong and has more precious people in his life than ever before. That is my promise."

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"That was quite a stunt you pulled back there," scolded Julius, "you nearly revealed yourself to the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf."

"Well in my defense," said Set, "I didn't know she was the Hokage. Awfully young and full bodied," adding a hint of lustful malice in his voice, wetting his lips slightly.

Julius sighed, "Still, that boy was quite impressive to keep up with you like he did," he continued, "There was a familiar power radiating off of him. I believe he was with the Uchiha not too long ago."

"Well, I've been having a rather bad day," said Set, "It was simply chance that I would run into that boy. Speaking of which, how does the Uchiha compare?"

Julius rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Hard to say," he said, "he definitely has some very raw power, but I was too late to see him in action. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I almost wish I had been there during your fight; he seems to be quite the worthy opponent," pointing to Set's shoulder where skin showed, along with some slight teeth markings.

Set laughed aloud, "He really was something. I don't' even know if he was going all out," he said, his voice anxious again, "The power that was radiating off of him seemed, infinite, and there was something else. I don't really know how to describe it properly, but I suppose you could call it 'evil'; it had a very odd aura to it. It was an amazing fight, but then again, I'm better at enjoying these experiences than you are brother. If you had been fighting, I doubt it would have lasted half as long. You really need to learn to draw these things out and have some fun. The symphony of battle is truly the greatest music death ever composed."

Julius half-smiled at Set, "Perhaps," he said, "I'll guess we'll just have to be patient. These exams will be quite interesting."

A/N: Sorry this update took so long, I've had quite a bit to do lately work, studying, sports, etc. Hope it was worth the wait.


	17. Part 33: The Brilliant Beast

A/N: I know last chapter was 3.3, but it should be this chapter. Not a big deal, but just wanted to say that was my bad.

Part 3.3: The Brilliant Beast

Lee traversed the city outskirts, avoiding passerby as he went. He was sprinting amazingly fast around city blocks enough so that he appeared to be a mere green blur to passerby. Lee followed the enormous wall, looming overhead around the gargantuan city. He kept looking forward, avoiding obstacles as they came towards him, using what little light was available to ensure he did not hit any barriers or people. His breathing was labored heavily now; his lungs burned trying to take the cold air into his body. However, he did not stop, but continued on single-mindedly. 'If I can't do four hundred laps around this city, then I will forever be a genin, and my nindo of hard work will never be proven,' he thought. His entire body ached, a cold, burning sensation was washing over him, freezing his sweat to his jumpsuit as a strong wind whipped around him, chilling him to the core. His hair thrashed wildly around him with each step, each strand being pushed to the back and sides of his head. The wind made his eyes teary, and a steady stream was now pouring from his face, freezing as soon as they left his face. He pumped his arms hard and rhythmically to match every step he took, leaving a deep imprint in the snow at every step. '398,' he thought, his body burning, his brain sending signals of pain that shockwaved through his body, demanding that he stop. However, Lee ignored all of that, continuing to sprint at top speed around the entire city, the cold wind beating against him. The pain, burning, freezing, and fatigue he felt combined to form a sensation that was overwhelming him, taking over his senses. '399,' he thought, his legs numb with pain, his entire body begging for release from the torture he constantly put himself through. He continued onward, circling the city, the shadow of the giant wall blocking out any light he had. 'I will not stop,' he thought, his mind and spirit determined, 'I will not yield. I am the great Azure Beast Rock Lee, I cannot fail!'

Suddenly, something wrapped around his legs, tripping him as he flailed through the air. His eyes grew wide; the starting point of his last lap only a few meters away. He felt something tugging at his leg, attempting to get him to stop. Lee frantically jumped with all the force he had, feeling his leg stretch painfully with the effort. He dove forward, seeing the outline of his starting point. He landed painfully on the snow, closing his eyes as the pain hit him full force. He slowly opened his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. '400,' he thought with a hint of satisfaction. He quickly turned his head around to see what had grabbed him.

"I tried getting your attention for the last ten laps you did here," said a very stoic and familiar voice.

Lee stared at his leg to see a long break of sand wrapped around his calf. Lee snorted indignantly, "A man of any worth will not let any distraction get in the way of his most excellent training regiment," said Lee, quoting his sensei, word for word.

Gaara looked down at him, a very perplexed expression on his face, "I never will understand you bowlhead,' he said, relinquishing his grip on Lee, "You and your whole, self-destructive creed you have."

Lee slowly got to his feet, his legs wobbling back and forth. He smiled brightly despite the absence of light, "The Great Azure Beast is a mystery," he said proudly.

Lee could have sworn he saw a smile creep across Gaara's face, but thought it was just the light shifting. Gaara looked away for a moment, his face deep in thought. Lee raised a thick eyebrow at him in confusion. "I've been curious about something for a while," said Gaara, "about all of you Leaf nins."

"Well ask away," said Lee enthusiastically, "I am not only strong, but most knowledgeable in many subjects."

Gaara's expression remained unchanged. Lee never noticed it before, but he seemed to have an almost sad expression on his face. "I learned a while ago," he said, his voice still stoic, but his face displaying a slight melancholy expression, "that what made you nins so strong was the fact that you have many people you love to protect. I was just wondering, how it feels when you're in that situation."

Lee was taken slightly aback by the question. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, staring up at the dark, cloudy sky above them. "Its kind of hard to describe," said Lee, "It's like a feeling is welling up inside your chest, almost like anger. But there's also a kind of love and sadness mixed in as well. It's like a hot feeling that begins here," pointing to his chest with one finger, "and then spreads throughout your body, giving you strength you never felt before. It fills every fiber of your being with strength, and it doesn't stop until you ensure your most precious people's safety." Lee nodded with approval of this explanation, inwardly proud. 'I sounded just like Gai-sensei,' he thought, a huge smile crossing over his face.

Gaara still looked solemn, "That's why he was so strong," he said quietly. Lee had heard of Naruto's fight with Gaara, of the Shukaku and how his eyes looked so lonely and sad.

Lee sighed, 'I understand what you meant Naruto,' he thought, 'He is so very powerful, but there's just so much misery in him.' "Surely you have someone precious to protect as well," piped up Lee, "your siblings, or your village..."

"No," said Gaara, his expression and voice stoic again, "my siblings still seem resent me, and my village will always look at me like a monster. I have no acquaintances like that, nothing precious to protect." He crossed his arms and looked skyward, "Perhaps it is only my destiny to be alone, nothing more."

"That's not true," yelled Lee, catching Gaara's attention once again, "No one should have to live a life alone, to be an outcast from everyone and everything. My sensei says that for every person in the world there is always something so valuable to them that they would gladly give their lives to protect. Perhaps you just need to keep searching."

Gaara stared at Lee for a while. Lee could feel the tension between them, as Lee was unsure what he said helped or not. Gaara simply shook his head and walked onwards, back towards the village.

Lee hesitated and then yelled, "It's not like you don't have precious friends to protect Gaara."

Gaara did not answer, but kept walking away from Lee, into the darkness, back towards the center of town. Lee hesitated again, several different thoughts running through his mind. He then bounded off after Gaara, getting in front of him despite the intense fatigue and pain he was feeling, "After all," he said, "we're comrades eh?"

Gaara looked very taken aback by Lee's last comment. "I crippled you," he said, "almost killed you, it would be stupid of you to look at me as a friend or comrade." Gaara's tone was very serious again, but his eyes drifted off away from Lee.

Lee laughed out loud, garnering a perplexed expression from Gaara, "But don't you see Gaara-sama," he said, "We are friends. Were we not brothers in arms against the Sound-nin? Do we not train together? And as I said before, I harbor you no ill will, as I'm sure Naruto does not either. After all, my sensei always says its better to make a most hated enemy into a most beloved ally whenever possible." He then gave Gaara the classic nice-guy pose.

Gaara stared at Lee for what seemed like an eternity before walking past Lee again. Lee felt his spirits sink, 'It seems I have failed Gai-sensei,' he thought, looking dejected.

"Lee," came Gaara's voice, his back still turned to him, "You're odd, but I think I understand." He then strode off towards the center of the city.

Lee did not follow him, but merely looked in the direction he was going, a huge smile plastered on his face. He looked up towards the sky and watched as a snow gently fell on the city. Reality then hit him back full-force as he felt the aches and pains normal with a difficult training session.

'Well,' he thought, 'I had better find a place to refresh myself.'

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Sasuke leapt across buildings in the night sky, moving quickly to the source where he had felt Naruto. His footsteps tread lightly on the houses, as he made quick movements across town towards a more densely populated and luxurious part of the city. Bright neon lights threatened to give away his position to the thousands of onlookers below who, like him, were rushing to the same area where the commotion was happening. Sasuke did not stop to look, but rushed straight forward into what looked like the result of a gigantic battle. Houses were mere piles of rubble; debris, broken windows, and huge, gaping holes in the sides of buildings showed the spots where the opponents landed. Sasuke finally stopped at a large and luxurious looking hotel and casino. He looked down upon it from above, watching with interest as the Thunder police force attempted to calm the situation, setting up barricades and shooing the crowd back. The local press had arrived as well, ready to post a new disaster on the evening news.

'I felt him here,' thought Sasuke, 'I know I did, the same power. It must be Naruto.' He activated his Sharingan, hoping to get a better perspective on the situation. His eyes revealed every little detail of the scene.

'Its Naruto,' thought Sasuke, 'no doubt about it. But who was he fighting?' He peered closer, attempting to identify Naruto's opponent. 'Based on the imprints in the snow and the cracks against the buildings, he was fairly tall. Probably well built too,' Sasuke examined the muscular features that were barely left in certain imprints of the building. 'Whoever it is put up a good fight, but Naruto must have finished them off. He may not compare with me, but he's still quite strong.'

His eyes went normal again, studying the crowd. Some of the genins for the Chuunin exam had appeared here. From his distance he could still make out their features. Many of the Leaf had appeared, Shino, who he had met before chasing Gaara, stood stoically away from the building, his eyes hidden under thick sunglasses. He slowly walked away from the scene, and Sasuke could have sworn he saw his head tilt up slightly to his position. 'Doesn't matter,' Sasuke thought, 'he's no threat.' He watched as Shino walked away, only for two other genin to walk towards the destructive scene. One of them had a long, light blonde ponytail and wore a long, blue skirt. Next to her was a pink haired genin; both were chattering about something.

Sasuke's mouth dropped slightly. 'Sakura.'

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Sakura stood wide-eyed in shock at what she saw. She had passed Tsunade carrying an unconscious Naruto back towards the hotel before she came running in the direction of the sound. The hotel was in ruins, an entire wall was missing, the interior was wrecked completely, and the guests in the way were either injured from the debris or in a state of shock.

"Did Naruto cause this," she asked, thinking aloud.

Ino shrugged, "I find it hard to believe that he could," she said, "the midget's not that strong. I wonder who or what he was fighting though."

The thought of what Naruto was fighting had not occurred to Sakura, but she did not care. Watching Naruto carried back unconscious only served to remind her of the day they failed to bring back Sasuke. Sakura looked down; she felt ashamed to be thinking of Sasuke now, despite the fact that her mind constantly wandered over to him.

Her train of thought was broken suddenly when snow from above her, hit her on the top of her head. She quickly shook the snow out of her hair and looked up. She stared up at a shadowy figure on top of a roof next to them. He was looking down at them, his eyes dark in the shadows, his headband reflecting light, showing the insignia of the Sound. Sakura took a sharp breath and stared fixated at the figure on the roof. The shadows moved, and the person disappeared. "What are you looking at Sakura?" asked Ino.

But Sakura rushed off, looking for a way to pursue the figure. She jumped between two walls in an alleyway and made her way to the roofs, Ino yelling behind at her asking what the hell she was doing.

Sakura ran as fast as she could, her legs beating hard against the snow covered roofs, trying desperately to catch up to the figure in front of her. "Sasuke," she yelled, hoping to catch the person's attention. Suddenly, the shadow stopped. Sakura skidded to a halt and slowly walked towards the form, her heart racing.

"Sasuke," she said, softly this time as if she dared not believe it. The shape stepped forward into the light offered by a nearby light. Sasuke appeared half in the light, while the other half of him remained in the shadows. Sakura's heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. Her mind flooded with thoughts of what to ask, what to say, what emotions to feel, joyous, fury, sadness, her psyche was at a loss at the mere sight of him. Sasuke made no further movements, but simply glared at her with his dark eyes.

She hiccupped slightly, her breathing quickened in pace. She could feel the tears well in her eyes, but she held them back and remained strong. "Why Sasuke," she asked pleadingly, "Why did you have to leave us?"

Sasuke still said nothing, but his eyes diverted from her own, looking instead at the neon lights in the distance that shone like a beacon in the darkness. "Konoha was no longer an option," he finally said, "I could not achieve what I needed there. Everything else is merely an obstacle to my goal."

Sakura was shocked by his response; her spirits sank as she felt her heart grow very heavy. "Does that mean," she asked slowly, dreading the answer, "that I...Naruto and I were just obstacles that got in the way of your goal?"

Sasuke was silent again, refusing to look at her. He refused to answer, simply staring into the horizon, towards the Jade Palace where the Sound nin were staying.

Sakura felt the defenses she had put up against her emotions being broken down. Tears slowly streamed down her cheeks and melted the snow beneath her. "But," she said, her voice wavering, "we could help you with your revenge...I could help you. We've conquered so many things together as a team. Surely this can be-"

"I'm sorry Sakura," Sasuke interrupted suddenly, "I can't be what you want me to be. I am an avenger, and the path I chose is taken alone. Anyone else would only get in the way."

"But, but," Sakura was stammering now, attempting to say something, give some answer that would change Sasuke's mind. Her desperation was very close to the surface; her heart raced quickly, dreading the moment they would part again.

"Goodbye Sakura," said Sasuke, "the next time we meet, it will be as enemies." And with that, Sasuke retreated back into the shadows, heading towards the Jade palace.

Sakura stood shakily in disbelief. Her mind simply could not comprehend what she had just heard. She fell to her knees in shock. She then began sobbing madly, placing her hands up to her face to muffle the sound.

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'Surely there is a most refreshing and vitalizing place to which I can recuperate myself,' thought Lee as he searched through the city streets. There was a large commotion ahead of him. People on the streets were huddling around a large building that looked as though it was halfway through demolition. A large group was gathered around it, chattering excitedly, exchanging rumors, along with the 'eyewitness' accounts of several people. The media was talking amongst the crowd, attempting to divine which had actually seen the event and which were merely looking for attention. Lee ducked into a nearby alley, attempting to go around the demolition area. Debris still littered the area, and large cracks and breaks marked the fighting ground.

'Looks like some brawl,' thought Lee, 'I guess I'll hear about it later with all the reporters around.'

He continued to walk onwards in the alley. Dark shadows covered him, with only the light produced in the city to give him any illumination. He crunched through snow and discarded trash, slowly making his way around. He stopped suddenly, hearing something distant, like a muffled cry. He looked up towards the roof tops, attempting to identify the source.

Lee thought to himself for a moment and then grinned mischievously. His legs were very tired now and having quite a bit of trouble supporting his body weight. However, Lee braced himself and jumped forward at one of the walls. As soon as his feet hit the first wall, he pushed harder towards the opposite, driving himself towards it. Lee smiled as he made progress up the alley walls. He attempted to push off again only for his legs to give way, only pushing him to the middle of the alleyway. Lee clawed in the air, flailing and trying to get a hold of some sort, but instead plummeted back to earth, crashing into the piles of trash and snow below with a loud thud.

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Sakura suddenly raised her head, tears still clinging to her face as a loud crash and groan was heard behind her. She got to her feet and looked over the edge to see a prone Rock Lee on the ground underneath her.

'Lee-san?' she thought curiously.

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"Lee, Lee," came a soft voice into Lee's ear.

Rock Lee slowly opened his round eyes and stared upward. 'How did I get down here,' he thought. He looked around and saw Sakura standing over him.

"Sakura, what are you doing here?" he asked while trying to shakily back to his feet. His legs gave out again, and he collapsed to the floor. Sakura rushed over to aid him, but Lee held up a hand to hold here back. 'I can do this,' he thought. He tried again, the pain was immense now, but he managed to get to his feet and stay there, though shakily so.

"Are you alright Lee?" asked Sakura, a tone of concern and curiosity in her voice.

"Of course," responded Lee, his voice very jovial and excited, "I am the great Azure Beast, nothing bothers me." He added, pumping a fist into the air that almost threw him off his balance again.

Sakura returned a smile to Lee, "Yeah," she said softly.

Sakura headed back towards the hotel she was lodged at as Lee followed slowly behind. Lee breathed heavily as his entire body had turned into a numbing pain in the cold. Sakura seemed very down, she was looking towards the ground, her eyes slightly teary and her steps weak. Lee was about to say something until Sakura interrupted him.

"Hey Lee," Sakura said hesitantly. Lee got stopped suddenly, still wobbling on his weak legs.

"What is it Sakura," he said cheerfully, despite the pain he was feeling coursing through his body.

Sakura looked down at the floor, seemingly unsure and uncomfortable with what she was about to ask. "Do you ever feel," she finally said, "well..." she seemed to be searching for the right word, "...worthless?"

Lee's heart sank slightly at her question. It had not been what he had expected her to ask, and this topic was one he did not like to talk about. Lee's expression fit his mood, though he tried to hide it.

"Oh, I'm sorry Lee," she blurted out quickly, trying desperately to apologize, "that's not what I meant to say. I just-"

"It's alright Sakura," said Lee, his voice still slightly solemn, "Yes, I do feel inferior at times. I don't have any amazing powers, hidden strength; I can't even do a simple bunshin jutsu. When I see all of the ninjas with such amazing abilities and jutsus, I do feel envious and even, as you put it, worthless."

Sakura had a deep look of regret on her face; she scratched the back of her head nervously, frantically trying to think of a way to apologize to Lee.

Lee could see her trepidation. He smiled warmly again, "But you know what Sakura," he said, his voice strong again, catching Sakura's attention, "Just because I don't have those things, doesn't mean I'm weak or powerless. After all, I am the amazing Azure Beast, Rock Lee, even if I meet ninja after ninja with more power than me; even if I lose battle after battle, I will not give up in proving my nindo. You can call it stubbornness, stupidity, or whatever you wish, but I know in my heart that I will prove my nindo, and I will be a strong nin, I promise," adding on a shiny smile and thumbs up.

Sakura smiled and laughed slightly at him.

"You're the same way Sakura," Lee continued, causing Sakura to show a perplexed look, "No matter what situation or whatever happens to you, you always look forward, never giving up. Just like Naruto, I can't imagine the two of you ever giving up until you get what you seek. That is your way, and the way of the ninja!" Lee pumped his fist into the air and shouted the last phrase loudly into the air so that it echoed across the entire city. 

'Wow,' thought Lee, 'Gai-sensei's most excellent mental training has made me a very wise person. No doubt Sakura is stunned by my most inspiring words.' He burst with pride at the thought, but his expression quickly changed to confusion when saw Sakura holding her stomach with laughter.

"You're so weird Lee-san," she said in between giggles. Lee's spirits drooped as it felt like an iron weight had replaced the inside of his chest. Lee looked towards the ground, a down and slightly frustrated expression on his face. Sakura's laughter finally subsided, and she walked over to Lee. Lee looked up at her again and received a very warm hug that sent electricity down his spine. "Thank you Lee," said Sakura, her voice happier now.

Lee could not help but smile; all the pain that had been coursing through his body was quickly replaced by a warm sensation that shot through him quickly. She let go, and smiled warmly at him. "Good luck at the exams Lee-san," she said and walked away back towards the center of town.

Lee was still in shock at what had just happened. He simply stared at her while she walked away. He sighed deeply, before his legs gave out once again and he collapsed to the ground again.

A light wind blew across him, freezing his breath above him as he exhaled and inhaled quickly, his lungs desperate for air. A look of surprise came across his face as he felt something brush into his hand. He looked over to see a single leaf fall into his hand.

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Set and Julius stood before the Raikage, the candles only partially defeating the immense darkness that blanketed the room. Both stood resolute; word of the hotel incident had just reached the Raikage's ears. He was rapping his fingers against an elongated table, a melencholy expression on his face. Julius looked over to his brother; Set was standing very stoically as well, awaiting the Raikage's answer. His red jumpsuit still had a very large, gaping hole in the shoulder of it.

"Did you succeed in eliminating the girl," the Rakage asked, a determined calm in his voice.

Set waited a few moments before answering, "No," he said, "Raan interfered and threatened suicide if I attempted to go any further. He really is becoming a nuisance; I don't understand why you need him alive."

"That is not your concern," replied the Raikage, "I'll deal with the hospital situation myself. As for the hotel incident, I can use this as leverage against Tsunade tomorrow, so it means little to me. There is a much more important matter to discuss here."

"The Chuunin exam," asked Julius.

The Raikage nodded, "I don't have to remind you that both of you play a huge role in making this plan a success. It will be done in three stages, you both should know what to do during the first two yes?"

They nodded in unison; Set licking his lips slightly in anticipation. "Because the test can only be done in teams of three, I have arranged another genin to join with you two." The Raikage stood up and gave them both a small dossier. Julius studied the picture. Her name was Kanitsu Cally. The girl had short, blond hair that was made into a small, hanging ponytail in the back of her head. Her eyes were brown and contrasted the paleness of her hair and skin. She seemed to have a permanent scowl plastered on her face, but otherwise was quite pretty. Julius looked at Set, who was smiling widely.

"Don't even think about it Set," said the Raikage, "She's a member of a very prominent clan in this village and is quite a skilled ninja. She has been reassigned to your team. As far as she and the rest of the village is concerned, you are nothing more than average level genin taking this exam for the first time. I don't want you revealing yourselves until the last part of the exam when everyone can see what you're capable of. I already have gone over what you are to accomplish during the first two parts of this exam. For the latter, you will receive new orders whenever that time comes."

The Raikage stood on his feet and walked towards them, dwarfing the both of them in his shadow. "I have chosen clan names for both of you," he said sternly, "Julius, you are now from the Kusemono clan, a now nonexistant clan that is very ancient. Coming from that clan will give the Leaf an uneasy feeling, reminding them of the damned slaughtering of our own bloodline clans," adding the last part with definite malice in his voice.

Julius bowed slightly but said nothing, a bored expression still on his face. The Raikage turned to Set, an annoyed expression plastered there now, "Per your request Set," said the Raikage, "you will be of the Izou clan. Raan will back up your eligibility in the clan. In reality it is a good idea to have someone of such a famous name in the exams."

Set smiled broadly, "Well, that was my thought," he said, chuckling slightly.

"Fine then," said the Raikage, "I don't have to remind you how important the upcoming event is. If anything goes wrong, we'll be made to look like fools and traitors. I am entrusting the future of the Hidden Cloud in you two, don't screw it up," he added, fury hidden in his voice, "now go, I have to prepare for Tsunade tomorrow."

Julius and Set both left slowly through the double doors into the black area outside. The Raikage smiled as they left and returned to his seat at the table, the candlelight showing only half of his smirking face. "Soon," he said aloud, "Very soon now..."

A/N: The updates hopefully will be coming a bit quicker for a while.


	18. Part 34: Picking a Fight

Part 3.4: Picking a Fight

The sun shot over the horizon, slowly basking the city in a warm, gentle glow that rarely hit the grey and dark area. It pierced through the darkness that had made itself so welcome in the area. Dark clouds still hung overhead, overshadowing the fiery crescent that was slowly forming amidst the mountains. The city was still cold, the air and ground chilled from a few weeks worth of frost and darkness. Footprints still stood where the populous had been not so long ago, going about their daily business. However, on this morning, very few people had awoken and Thunder Capitol seemed oddly quiet, like a gentle hush had fallen over the city, giving off an aura of peace to amplify the sunny weather.

Rays of sun shot through the windows of the houses, apartments, and buildings that littered the giant city, awaking the residents to a friend whose warm glow they had missed. The sun's rays slowly progressed across the city, hitting a particular hotel so that the rays set the room afire in an orange glow. The sun slowly moved across the face of a dozing Shikamaru, who did not welcome the early morning call and frowned his brow in an irritated expression while he slept. He finally opened his squinted eyes to see the sun over the horizon, shooting rays across the sky that welcomed a new day. Shikamaru groaned in annoyance, but slowly sat up in his bed, the warmed air in the room keeping him warm. He slowly looked towards the window observing the sun, a bored expression on his face. He sighed deeply before pulling himself completely out of bed. The room was quite spacious, of suite level. Everything was well crafted, polished, and put in its specific place. It annoyed Shikamaru that everything seemed so perfect with the room.

'The people of this country must have nothing better to do with their time than be anal retentive,' he thought.

He walked to a sliding door and out on the balcony, the cold air blasting him with chilled wind. He closed it quickly, still shaking furiously from the cold.

'That'll wake ya up in the morning,' he thought.

Shikamaru sat back down slowly on his bed, his mind drifting back to yesterday's events...

"_Jeez Chouji," scolded Shikamaru, "you could slow down a bit."_

_Chouji had just gone through his eighth bowl of barbecue steak, downing it quickly only for it to be replaced by another. Shikamaru eyed Chouji lazily; he sat across from his friend in the Thunder Break, a restaurant known for its hefty portions. The entire staff was now staring at the growing pile of empty plates and bowls that sat in front of Chouji. The manager looked like he was ready to have a nervous breakdown._

"_I really think you should leave these poor people alone Chouji," said Shikamaru. Chouji was now clearing an entire plate of cocktail shrimp, leaving a pile of tails in front of Shikamaru. He was amazed at how fast Chouji ate; he seemed to be widening out as he watched him. _

"_What'd you say Shikamaru," said Chouji from behind a plate of beef bullion. _

_Shikamaru sighed heavily. "Hey its not my fault we have an unlimited tab here," said Chouji, "if they've got some beef with me they should take it up with the Lord of Thunder."_

_Shikamaru shook his head and looked out the window. People seemed to be rushing towards something, and Shikamaru could feel the ground tremble slightly beneath his feet. The thought of investigating the event was dragged from his mind whenever Chouji spoke again._

"_You're lucky Shikamaru," said Chouji, Shikamaru turning back to face his friend, "You got promoted to a Chuunin during the exam in our own country when we had home field advantage. Now, we're the outsiders, and the Hidden Cloud has the advantage."_

"_You'll do fine," replied Shikamaru, "after all, you're training pretty hard right now aren't you?"_

_Chouji removed a plate from his face and smiled broadly at his friend, "Well," he said, "I've got to get back up to fighting weight." He flexed his arms out, holding a bowl in one and a pair of chopsticks in the other. _

_Shikamaru chuckled at his friend. Suddenly, an ancient man approached them, his hair wispy, long, and white. He had a long moustache that touched the base of his neck in a fu-man-chu style. He wore a very white robe along with white sandals. His headband wore the mark of a monk, and he carried a container of incense and a gong. A live chicken sat on top of his head. _

"_Oh evil eating demon of the restaurant," he said, his voice in a trance, waving the incense around Chouji "leave this place and return to the nether world to bother these people and their business no more." He then struck the gong three times and gave Chouji the evil eye; only eliciting a perplexed expression from both Chouji and Shikamaru. _

"_I think we'd better go Chouji," said Shikamaru, as the old man began performing a strange dance, shaking the chicken from his head in the air while doing a weird chant. Shikamaru and Chouji hurried out of the entrance. _

_They walked from the restaurant back towards the hotel. Shikamaru looked up at the black, lightless sky as the dark stratus clouds passed slowly overhead. "I hate this place," he said to Chouji, "everything about it just seems completely drab and decadent."_

"_The food's decent," replied Chouji, patting his belly which was beginning to take shape. _

_Shikamaru observed him slightly, "Ino's not going to be too happy about you gaining so much weight."_

"_Why would she care?" asked Chouji._

"_C'mon Chouji, even I can tell she likes you."_

_Chouji confusion seemed to increase as he screwed his face in concentration, attempting to put two and two together. "You really think so," he asked, looking at his belly with slight remorse._

_Shikamaru shook his head, "Even if she does like you," he said, "she's got to like you for who you are. Not some byproduct of a pepper pill. Your whole clans got the girth that makes them fine ninjas. If she doesn't like you chubby, then she's not worth it." Even though his words came out lazily, Chouji took them to heart, smiling warmly at his friend._

"_You really are amazing Shikamaru," said Chouji._

"_Not really," replied Shikamaru, "just too bored to notice anything else."_

The thought of boredom caught up with him as he watched the sun peak farther over the horizon, dressing himself to head outside. He looked towards the chess set he had placed on the table behind him.

'Well,' he thought to himself, 'its not like I'm doing anything else.' He then grabbed the chess set, tucking it under one arm as he headed out the door.

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Tsunade woke to the first rays of the morning sun, her eyes opening lazily as she scowled at the light that came into her window. She pulled the sheets off of her, and stretched and cracked her body.

'It still feels old,' she thought, 'despite how I look.' She sighed in frustration as she looked out of the window. It was cold to the touch, and the heat left a large imprint of her hand on the window before fogging up again. In the distance, the light reflected off the Jade Palace brilliantly, as if it were its own sun. Green light danced off the spires and pillars of the Raikage's home, seeming to give off its own aura that transcended anything she had seen. Bright blue-white lightning struck the towers, only for it to cascade down into thin streaks and be dispersed amongst the city in incredibly fast, small moving charges. She had been dreading the proceedings that were about to take place; the Raikage had asked for her presence early morning today.

'No doubt he'll use the previous nights events against me,' she thought, 'he's in an advantageous political position.' She turned back around and walked out from the bedroom into a small, walk-in kitchen. Something had been tugging at her mind from the previous day...

_Tsunade lay Naruto on a bed in Gai's room. TenTen looked at him reproachfully before exiting out of the room into the hallway. _

'_He looks just like him,' thought Tsunade, reminiscing about her younger brother, 'same attitude, same looks, almost everything.' The thought of her younger sibling panged her, and she quickly pushed it from her mind._

"_He should be fine," came a lazy voice from behind her, "He's taken worse than that before." _

_Tsunade nodded at Kakashi as he and Gai came forward to check on Naruto's condition._

"_Well," said Gai, "He'd better be ready for a most intense training session tomorrow; I won't go easy on him just because he's been subdued twice in one day. I must take advantage of his youth and train him harder than I have ever before so that he may take the Chuunin exam and pass it beyond anything these Thunder Nins have every seen before," ending his speech with a good-guy pose._

_Tsunade smiled, repressing laughter as she did. She looked back over to Kakashi, who seemed to be debating something in his mind. "Tsunade," he said finally, "did you feel anything odd about those two kids in the hotel."_

_Tsunade looked at him, a quizzical expression on her face, "Not really," she said, "I felt a type of power with them, but nothing that I could place specifically, why?"_

"_Nevermind," said Kakashi, "Just forget I said anything."_

"_Kakashi, if there's something important about this situation I should know; you should tell me," said Tsunade, her voice concerned, but also very firm._

"_Not until I'm absolutely sure," he replied, "But..." he seemed to hesitate for some time. Gai had a similar expression on his face; it made Tsunade feel like she was being left out of something very important. _

"_You're going to see the Raikage tomorrow right," Kakashi finally said._

_Tsunade nodded, a perplexed expression still on her face. "Well then," he said, his voice solemn, "ask him if he's ever heard of Hiketsu."_

_Tsunade's confusion grew, "Who or what is Hiketsu?" she asked._

"_Just ask him," said Kakashi, "If it's necessary I'll tell you more."_

"_Kakashi," her tone turning very firm and slightly angry now, "if there's something going on I need to know about it; so tell me everything you know about this situation."_

"_No," replied Kakashi. Tsunade could hardly believe her ears at this; Kakashi never openly disobeyed her orders. It infuriated her now, irritating her to no end. "Trust me," said Kakashi, his voice slightly panicked, "you don't want to know about this until its absolutely necessary. It will detriment the relations between you and the Raikage. So please Tsunade, I know you are more than capable of handling yourself, and I don't like keeping you out of the loop. But relations with the Thunder are very important, and we cannot accuse them of something of this magnitude."_

_Tsunade did not like this situation and openly scowled at Kakashi. She finally sighed, "Alright," she said, her voice indignant, "but you had better tell me before not knowing this information comes back to bite me in the ass."_

_Kakashi smiled slightly, but Tsunade kept her firm stance. "I've got an early day tomorrow, so I'll let you leave, but don't forget what I said Kakashi."_

_Kakashi bowed deeply before leaving. Tsunade followed after, 'Hiketsu,' she thought, 'I've never even heard of the name before. Surely if it was important I would have known about it by now. What was it? A person, technique, some ancient lore of sorts? It bothered her to no end and consumed her mind even as she went back to her room to sleep._

The morning was no different, the word Hiketsu was emblazoned in her mind now. She still could think of anything relevant to the word; it didn't even sound familiar, but Kakashi spoke of it in such a weird way. Finally, she drove it from her mind, concentrating on the day ahead, and prepared for the trip to the Jade Palace.

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Naruto awoke with very stiff pains all over his body. He kept his eyes closed, attempting to drive the sunlight from them. Suddenly, the memories of his fight with Set came back full force, and he came back to his feet into the fighting stance only to find himself back in his room. Lee was sleeping in the bed next to his, an exhausted look on his face. Naruto slowly left his bed and traversed around the room. TenTen was in the room opposite, sleeping peacefully still. He held his head as it pounded from the inside out, feeling like someone had taken a jackhammer to it. He groaned painfully as he made his way to the kitchen.

Gai was nowhere to be found, but neither was any food of any sort. Though the cabinets were spacious, they contained little to nothing, only some condiments. Naruto's stomach growled painfully as he panged for some food. Just then, a knock on the door awoke him from his hungry stupor. He slowly made his way to the door, the pain in his head now traversing through the rest of his body.

"Who is it," he asked lazily.

"I'm here with your complimentary bed and breakfast sir," came an overly polite voice from the other side of the door.

Naruto ripped the door open and found himself, face to face with a gigantic cart of food. It was filled to the brim with eggs, bacon, toast, milk, and a huge variety of other foods. The hot smell of the cart wafted into his nostrils, making him drool slightly in anticipation.

"This is of course complimentary," came the bellboy's voice from behind the cart, "just one of the many way in which we wish to make your stay as pleasant as possi-"

Naruto ripped the cart from the bellboy's hands and shoved it into his room, the gluttony he felt consuming him now. He looked back at the bellboy, who was holding his hand out slightly, palm facing up.

'What the hell does he want,' thought Naruto, 'Oh, I get it.'

He slapped down on the bellboy's hand with his own, "Great job guy," he said, giving the bellboy a foxish grin as well.

The bellboy stormed off angrily, leaving a very puzzled expression on Naruto's face. "What the hell is wrong with the people in this country," he thought aloud. His mind drifted back to the cart behind him, the scent of hot food bringing him back to reality. He rubbed his hands in anticipation and dragged the cart into the kitchen, moving a table away so that he was directly under the cart.

"55, 56, 57, 58," came a grunting voice from the first bedroom. Naruto peeked inside to see Lee, wide awake, doing one-handed, alternating push-ups in front of his bed.

"Yo, Lee," said Naruto, "you might want to get something to eat while it's still hot, or before there's nothing left," he added mischievously, finally digging into the delicious food before him, stuffing his face with a varied assortment of hot food that melted in his mouth. Lee strode in quickly only to resume doing push-ups on the kitchen floor, while grabbing food with his free hand. Naruto simply shook his head at Lee, 'Always a weirdo,' he thought to himself.

"I thought I heard you two stuffing your faces in here," came a very indignant voice from behind them. TenTen had just awoken to the sight of Naruto shoveling vast amounts of food into his mouth while Lee ate whilst doing push-ups. TenTen sat opposite Naruto, attempting to get food from his grasp. She finally pulled a kunai from her belt and drove it into a plate of toast that Naruto was about to consume, eliciting a wide-eyed expression from Naruto. Lee was randomly grabbing food off the cart while concentrating on his training.

Naruto was now grabbing blindly at the cart, shoving anything and everything in his mouth as quickly as possible. 'I guess this place isn't all bad' he thought, grabbing something else blindly off the cart and biting down hard.

"OW!" came a groan from the floor. Naruto opened his eyes to realize he had just tried to eat Lee's hand. He released his grip on Lee's hand and laughed nervously. Lee sat up and rubbed his hand, an angry expression on his face while TenTen laughed openly at the two of them.

"Ah, I see that my passionate youth have awakened from their most restful slumber," came a very familiar and cheerful voice from behind them. Lee came to his feet and saluted their sensei. Gai shot them all a smile, only eliciting a glare from Naruto and TenTen. "Today is a most important day in your training," continued Gai, "there are only two days until the beginning of the Chuunin examination, so we must train diligently to prepare for what will no doubt be a most grueling experience."  
  
"Also, Naruto," said Gai, catching Naruto's attention, "your training with Jiraiya-sama will begin after my own passionate training session. He will meet you on the outskirts of town near the resident hot spring."

'Figures,' thought Naruto, 'The perverted hermit must be doing his 'research' even here.'

"So then," said Gai, "Let's be off, time and tide wait for no man, and training is always done with the most passion early in the morning. So quickly my most youthful apprentices, off to Gai's most amazing and secret training spot. LET'S GO!!" he said, jumping on the table beside them and going into a whooping crane pose complete with ocean background.

"Isn't Gai-sensei incredible," yelled Lee, "he has already found a most amazing training area for us!"

"Thank you Lee," said Gai, flashing his student a good-guy pose, "now everyone, follow your sensei," and with that, sprinted out the door, Lee following close behind. Naruto and TenTen stared towards the open door, their expressions in complete surprise and shock.

"C'mon you two," said Lee, poking his head back in the door, "we can't waste our most passionate youth here." He sprinted back out the door to follow Gai.

"I guess we'd better go," said TenTen, leaving out the exit.

Naruto made towards the exit, but hesitated, looking back towards the cart. He quickly shoveled as much food as possible into his cheeks before leaving to join his team.

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"You can't be serious," said Hiashi. Tsunade had just come to his room; it was very early as the sun had not yet cleared the mountainous peaks all around them and only shot orange light through the windows.

"It would really help the situation if you, Neji, and Hinata all made a showing with me today some time. It would help the Hidden Cloud realize that we harbor no ill will towards them in any way, and that all events in the past will stay there."

"You want me to go before the Raikage," said Hiashi, his tone annoyed now, "and say that his killing of my brother and attempts to steal my clan's secrets is all in the past now? That is impossible Tsunade; I will not go before that piece of trash and forgive him for any misdeeds."

Tsunade sighed in frustration. 'I should have expected this,' she thought, 'but his presence could be a cornerstone to truly peaceful talks between the Leaf and Cloud. "Listen Hiashi," she said, "I understand your history with the Hidden Cloud isn't exactly a good one, but with bad blood on both sides here we may need to take the first step in order to initiate a peaceful resolution. Please Hiashi, this is one of the most important diplomatic relations in the history of the Leaf. We could really use your support.

Hiashi was silent for what seemed like an eternity as Tsunade waited anxiously for his answer. He stared at her with his cold, white eyes, surveying her. Tsunade hated when he did this, but tolerated it for the sake of diplomacy. "Alright," said Hiashi finally, his tone still very annoyed.

Tsunade bowed deeply, "Thank you Hiashi, the meeting will start in about an hour so gather everyone together before then and meet me in front of the Jade Palace," giving another slight bow before leaving.

Hiashi closed the door as she left. "So," came a voice behind him, "we meet the Raikage today?"

Neji was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed in deep meditation. "Yes," said Hiashi, "get your cousin and take her to the Jade Palace, I will meet you there."

Neji stood up slowly, opening his eyes lazily. He opened the window in front of him and scaled the wall down to the street below.

Hiashi watched him as he went off, 'Damn Tsunade,' he thought before preparing to depart.

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Naruto followed close behind Lee, Gai, and TenTen; they had been running for what seemed like a good hour before finally coming to the old, industrial sector of town. They finally stopped in front of a tall but dilapidated building. Most of the windows were broken and shards appeared to have fallen recently out of the window, leaving imprints in the snow where they were removed. Prints in the snow showed signs of previous activities here; Naruto figured Gai must have prepared the area in advance.

"Alright my pupils," Gai said excitedly, "feast your eyes on Gai's most amazing training spot."

He opened the doors in a great flourish to reveal an area that heavily contrasted the outside of the building. The inside had been quite well prepared. Everything was dusted and very tidy and two different areas had been set up. One side of the room consisted of three, large steel beams driven into the ground. Candles and electric lights were set around the room offering decent illumination as there was very little shadow in the area. On the other side of the room, the wooden floor had been chalked into a very large circle, with two lines about three feet apart from each other in the center.

"Welcome," said Gai, "to your sensei's amazing training and sparring center!" adding on his trademark whooping-crane pose complete with ocean background.

Naruto looked around, quite impressed with what his sensei had accomplished in such a short period of time. TenTen looked similarly awed with how quickly Gai had improved such a dilapidated area. Lee was openly crying as he burst with pride for his sensei. "Gai sensei is so amazing," he said between sobs.

Naruto walked over to the steel beams. "What are these for Gai-sensei," he asked.

"Well," said Gai, "those are to act as the practice logs. Since we have so little time, I brilliantly figured I'd speed up the process of toughening you three up. So instead of wood, you have steel! And after you defeat the steel you will become stronger than it!" pumping both fists into the air and smiling so wide and bright his mouth could have been mistaken for a light itself. "Now, let's begin the training my most excellent pupils."

Each one of them took a position in front of a steel beam. Naruto looked at his own and noticed very large dents in the front and sides of it. 'Looks like Gai already began his own training.' They all began striking the beams, coordinating with their own styles. Naruto found every strike on the beam to be immensely painful, but was grateful for the distraction. The previous day's events still rang true in his mind; both the fight with Sasuke and the brawl with Set. His fist continually hit the beam, denting it further and further, the pain sending shockwaves through his body, chattering his teeth. He glanced over at his companions.

Lee was going through his usual routine, but seemed slightly stiff. His motions appeared panged from the beginning, and the tremendous stress he placed on his body seemed to be catching up with him. However, he continue single-mindedly as he pounded a very smooth groove into the side of the beam, breathing hard and rhythmically with every kick he made.

TenTen doing a slight hand to hand and weapons style. While she was driving her hands and legs into the beam as well, she would also attempt to drive an assorted array of weapons into it as well; kunais, shurikens, etc. leaving many painful scrapes and scratches in the beam itself. She even managed to drive a kunai into the center of it, impressing Naruto. Gai traveled between all of them, making corrections on their stances and techniques or sometimes just standing behind them in quiet admiration and pride.

However, Naruto's mind was elsewhere during this training session. Although he continued pounding on the steel beam, the whole area reminded him of his fight with Sasuke. The way he had taunted him, completely bashing his nindo, infuriated Naruto to no end. However, something else had been nagging at Naruto as well. He understood why he hated Sasuke so much; Sasuke was a very close friend who had turned traitor so easily it panged him to think about it. Set was a different story though. Just the thought of the man was enough to send Naruto into a frenzied state. He really didn't know why he hated Set so much, but something about him really enraged Naruto. He seemed so, arrogant, and yet similar to someone or something he had met. It was more of an instinctive anger, a defense mechanism, than the raw, emotional hate he felt for Sasuke. The anger was rising in him again, sending the red chakra throughout his body, sending him frenzied again. His mind reeled at the thought of the two ninjas and the fights he had with them.

He growled out loud and drove his fist towards the steel, only for a large hand to softly catch it. Naruto looked up to see Gai, smiling gently at him, palming his hand in his. "I think that's enough for now." Naruto looked up at the training clock.

'Three hours?' he thought. Time seemed to have sped up considerably since they began, and they all were a bit surprised at the current time.

"I want to have one on one training sessions with you guys along with some sparring time amongst ourselves. TenTen, you and I will train first. Naruto, Lee, I want you guys to come back here in about twenty minutes and begin sparring. Do whatever you need to do, warm up, get something to eat, and then come back here, ready to go all out. I'm treating this training just like a real Chuunin exam so don't doddle and give me your most brilliant and amazing performances!"

Naruto nodded at Gai, eager for the opportunity to spar with Lee. Lee looked much the same. They both left the building, eyeing each other carefully, a large smile plastered on each other's faces. "Good luck Thickbrows," said Naruto, mockingly but playfully so.

Lee laughed loudly, "True men of power make their own luck Naruto," he said, flashing him the usual good-guy pose. They both left in opposite directions until they could no longer hear the crunching of snow behind them. Naruto headed towards the city, eager to refresh his belly for the training to come.

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Kanitsu Cally faced the Raikage. She was on her knees, prostrating herself before him. She had never been called into the presence of the Raikage before, and this was a great honor for her. She smiled inwardly, 'Well,' she thought, 'I am the number one rookie genin here. It's no wonder he'd want to talk to me before the exams.'

"I brought you here today," said the Raikage, his tone very business like and serious, "because I am disbanding your current team and replacing your teammates."

Cally was taken aback slightly, but attempted to hide her expression. "What is wrong with my current team Raikage-sama?" she asked.

"That's not your concern," replied the Raikage, "the two genins that I have provided you with are more than sufficient to help you pass the first exam. The other two shouldn't even be a problem for you. Their names are Kusemono Julius and Izou Set."

"I've never heard of them," said Cally curiously, "are they rookies?"

"They've done their fair share of missions," replied the Raikage, "I believe your chances of success are much greater if these two replace your original team."

Cally seemed almost irritated with the decision, but kept her emotions and tone in check. "I understand Raikage-sama," she finally said, "you will shall be done."

"Excellent," replied the Raikage nonchalantly, "Now leave, I have a very important meeting to attend to."

Cally bowed deeply before leaving the Raikage's inner sanctum. Her mind was still troubled by the thought of these two new genin. She had never fought with them before and knew it would be hard to get used to new teammates in such a short period of time. However, she felt that she could trust the Raikage's decision and hurried out of the Jade Palace.

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Tsunade walked calmly towards the Jade Palace, the sun burning a bright green reflection on everything inside and out of the palace's perimeter. She squinted as the bright green shot into her eyes and blinded her as she approached it. She saw all three of the Hyuugas in the distance and breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of them. Hiashi was dressed as a subordinate of the Hyuuga clan, still playing to the role of Hyuuga Hizashi. Neji and Hinata were next to him, Neji looking very calm and bored and Hinata looking almost terrified.

Hiashi leaned against a railing with his arms crossed. "It's about time you got here," he said, "I want to get this over with as soon as possible. I don't have time to be some kind of token for peace with a man who by all rights should be dead at my hands for what his kind have done to us."

Tsunade scowled at him openly, "You need to leave your threats and indignant attitude here because I won't allow your bitterness to effect the relations with the Raikage," she said firmly.

Hiashi ignored her and began to head towards the inner sanctum, Neji and Hinata following close behind. Tsunade sighed, 'This could really come back to bite me, but I've got to show the Raikage that we're not here to provoke war,' she thought. She continued on towards the inner sanctum of the palace, passing several servants going about their daily routine of polishing the jade until it was blindingly bright.

Hiashi walked stoically forward, followed by Neji and Hinata. Tsunade eventually took the lead as they got closer to the Raikage's inner sanctum. A servant was waiting in front of the large double doors. "The Raikage has been waiting for you," he said, his tone polite, but slightly impertinent.

Tsunade nodded and proceeded to open the double doors, revealing the Raikage's inner sanctum. It was still the same, a long wooden table in the middle with candles around the walls of the room. A single window allowed for some of the light to shine through, giving the room better illumination. Tsunade bowed deeply at the Raikage, sitting on the opposite side of the table from her. The Raikage stood up and returned the gesture. Tsunade had forgotten how tall the Raikage was as he dwarfed the entire party easily. He smiled warmly under the triangular hat he wore, but his attention soon wandered over to the rest of Tsunade's party. Hiashi was standing very still, his arms crossed over his chest in a defensive position. Neji simply stared up at the tall man, his arms held loosely at his sides. Hinata seemed slightly intimidated by the height of the man and shrank into the back of the party, blushing slightly.

The Raikage's smile broadened, "I see you've brought the Hyuuga clan as well. I am honored by your presence." He bowed deeply, but his eyes seemed to have a glint of malice in them despite his very cordial manner.

Hiashi remained silent for a while, but finally bowed back slightly, "I am here as a representative of the Hyuuga clan," he said very business like, "in order to promote peaceful relations between us. There has been much bloodshed and hatred between our two groups, and we hope to rectify that situation."

The Raikage scratched his chin in thought, "You're Hyuuga Hizashi correct?" he asked.

Hiashi hesitated again. It worried Tsunade whenever Hiashi did this; she was afraid that he would either fly off the handle again or reveal himself to the Raikage. "Yes," he finally said, with a hint of resentment in his voice, "I am from the Hyuuga branch house. You are no doubt familiar with the situation involving my brother nearly ten years ago."

The Raikage nodded, "It was my first act as Raikage to request the body of your brother."

Hiashi clenched his fists angrily but remained resolute. Tsunade could see the fury building in his eyes and could almost see a faint hint of the Byakugan activating. "But that's the proverbial, 'water under the bridge,' now. I do hope that your coming here is a sign that the Hyuuga will hold no resentment against us for our actions, as we hold none against them."

Hiashi looked very much near his limit of tolerance for this meeting. Tsunade, hoping to finish this soon diverted attention from Hiashi. "This is Hyuugan Neji, Hizashi's son and Hyuuga Hinata, daughter of the late Hyuuga Hiashi. They will be participating in the Chuunin exam a few days from now," she said hastily.

The Raikage's gaze shifted from Hiashi to Neji and Hinata. He bowed his head slightly at both of them to receive the same gesture in return. "I wish you the best of luck," he said in a very friendly manner. "Now, if we can get to business I'd like to speak to the Hokage alone please. Thank you for your time."

Hiashi bowed and left very quickly before walking fast from the Raikage's inner sanctum followed closely by Neji and Hinata. Tsunade breathed as sigh of relief, 'That went rather well,' she thought, 'hopefully the Raikage will be more open to peaceful discussion now.'

The double doors closed behind them leaving Tsunade and the Raikage alone again. The Raikage sat on the opposite side of the long table and motioned for Tsunade to sit opposite him. The sunlight only shot across half his face, revealing a long, trailing scar that winded down his face past any visible skin. Tsunade tried not to stare and kept her attention on the matters before her. "So," said the Raikage, "what is it you wished to discuss with me?"

Tsunade gathered her thoughts and began her speech, "Raikage-sama," she said, "For too long now has the friction between our two nations erupted into the fires of war. Since I can remember, the Leaf have been on unwelcome terms with the Cloud. Even the ceasefire we proposed is not a complete peace between our two nations. I would like for you to consider the possibilities of our two great nations joining together as a show of peace for the rest of the continent to follow, so that the ninja nations may come under a banner of peace and prosperity that will flow into generations past us. We would support each other and maintain a peace between our two lands; we could help each other in times of need and war; we could bring our two people together and end a conflict that has been going on since before either of us was born. I can't even remember the reason that we have such friction between us in the first place, and it is pointless to continue or restart and needless war. I just want you to consider it Raikage-sama, as both of our peoples could use an everlasting peace between our two nations."

She waited patiently for the Raikage's reply. She felt a pride well inside of her, 'That was a pretty good speech,' she thought to herself, 'With everything that has happened today, surely he'll at least consider it."

The Raikage continued to stare at her, his eyes boring into her, an almost bored expression on his face. "That was very convincing Hokage-sama," the Raikage finally said, raising Tsunade's spirits slightly, "but I am not so easily swayed."

Tsunade looked taken aback but remained silent. "You see Hokage-sama," continued the Raikage, "my people do long from a break in the long war between us. But at the same time they also have not forgotten the Bloodline Massacre, and neither have I."

Tsunade remained silent; she had expected that to be brought up, but had not thought of a way to counter it. "And even now, your students are doing little to convince me that you Leaf truly wish for peace," he continued, his voice raising slightly, "One day you have been here, and you seem to have no semblance of control over your own students. The Otokage came to me yesterday saying that one of your students attacked Uchiha Sasuke. Someone named Uzumaki Naruto. Not only that, but this same nin attacked one of my own as well. How can I possibly consider peace whenever your Leaf nin are warring against every enemy you've ever had? You Leaf seem to be just as bull-headed as you ever were."

This last comment felt like a low-blow to Tsunade. She wanted to punch the Raikage for the last comment, but kept herself cool. "I apologize for the first action, Uzumaki Naruto was out of line there, and he will be reprimanded. However," she continued, her voice raising slightly as well, "the second attack may not have been unprovoked. I was at the scene of the battle myself, and I witnessed a mutual desire from both parties to destroy the other. There was no defensive qualm coming from either side; both were in the middle of the parlay which makes me think that the attack may not have been unprovoked. Set was his name I believe."

The Raikage's eyes widened slightly at the sound of the nin's name. "You know him," he asked, his voice lowering again.

"There were two of them; the seemingly younger of the two addressed the one dressed in red as 'Set'. This Set seemed just as eager as my nin to continue the fight, even calling me a 'whore' whenever I restrained my own nin from battling further."

The Raikage was visibly annoyed by this information. "I see," he said, the anger and irritation hidden within his words, "will you excuse me for a moment Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade nodded at the Raikage and he swept out the double doors. Tsunade breathed heavily whenever he left. The tension here was very thick, and she could feel that he was becoming very irritated with her. She had one question yet to ask, dealing with what Kakashi had said yesterday. The fact that she was so in the dark about this 'Hiketsu', annoyed her quite a bit, drilling into her brain. However, she kept her focus on the present and patiently awaited the Raikage's return.

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The Raikage stormed down the hall, motioning a servant to come towards him. "Get Julius and Set," he said to the servant, his words harsh but quiet, "tell them to get to my inner sanctum immediately."

The servant gulped slightly, his adam's apple bobbing in his throat, "S-Set left some time ago Raikage-sama," he said, his words fearful.

"What?" asked the Raikage, the fury ringing in his voice.

"Julius told us some time ago. He's not sure when his brother will return," the servant was visibly cringing now, expected the Raikage's wrath to come full force.

The Raikage scowled, "Get Julius and tell him to find his brother and bring him within my inner sanctum within the hour, now," he added, his voice very malicious.

The servant bowed quickly and shuffled off to Julius' quarters. The Raikage watched him leave, 'Damn Set, what the hell does he think he's doing.'

The Raikage turned to reenter his chamber when he noticed that the Hyuuga were still in the temple. The eldest was leaning against a pillar, his eyes half-closed, and a bored expression on his face. The younger male seemed to be practicing some fighting while the younger girl shuffled about anxiously. The Raikage stared at them for a moment before returning to his sanctum.

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Naruto had traveled through the enormous city quickly. It had been about five minutes since Gai had told him of his eventually sparring with Lee. He had been looking for an opportunity to exact his revenge on Lee from the trip here, and now he finally had the opportunity. However, his only objective right now was to find a place that served ramen, which seemed to be a scarce food in this country. Every restaurant seemed more akin to cuisines or barbecues that took a good ten minutes to prepare. He had only twenty and didn't wish to be late.

Since he had entered the city, he had an odd feeling about him. The hair on the back of his neck was standing on end, and he continually felt a cold chill rush through his body despite the lack of wind today. The crowds were very large today, and he had a hard time maneuvering through them. As usual, large groups of people bustled in and out of stores, crunching through the light snow that always seemed to cake the ground. Naruto finally ducked into a thin alley, hoping to get his bearings straight.

The feeling intensified in him, 'What the hell is this he thought.' Suddenly a soft laughter came from behind him. He turned around quickly, but found nothing there. The feeling did not leave him, and he traveled farther down the alley. He felt a wind pass behind him and turned on his heel again, preparing himself for battle, but again, nothing was there. His eyes darted from side to side; blood was pumping very fast through him as the anticipation was sending adrenaline through his body, sending fiery sensation through every cell in his body.

The roar of the crowds died down behind him, only to be replaced with the movement of his own feet in the snow. His breathing was harder now and every instinct in his body told him that something was watching him.

"Hello again," came a malicious, but cordial voice from above him.

Naruto looked up and saw a red light, reflecting off a piece of clothing. The light blinded him, and he rolled back quickly before the object dropped down in front of him. Set stood before him, erecting himself to his full height, he arms held loosely at his sides while Naruto prepared himself for battle. Rage was fueling him again, and he could feel the red chakra coursing through him. "What the hell do you want," he asked Set, in more of a snarl than actual words.

"Temper, temper," said Set, waving a scolding finger at Naruto, "As much fun as railing your midget self would be, I have not come here to fight."

"What then," asked Naruto, his teeth still bared, ready for action.

"Just to tell you this," said Set in a very cordial manner, "I have marked you."

"For what?"

"Death of course," said Set, matter-of-factly.

Naruto readied himself for an attack, hunching his body, tensing the muscles in his legs, readying to leap at Set and tear him apart, "Let's end this now then!" he roared.

"Ah, Ah, Ah," said Set again in a demeaning manner, "The greatest songs and paintings were not made in a single note or brush stroke. Things like this need to be dragged out. Our little brawl yesterday, was perhaps a slight interlude to something greater. You amuse me Naruto, but your hatred for me seems to be overshadowed by something else, and I hate playing second stage."

"Whatever the hell you're talking about," growled Naruto, "I suggest you finish before I rip your throat out."

Set laughed loudly, "Still," he said, regaining his composure, "you view me as an annoyance. You are distracted by someone or something, but I have ways of bringing your hatred full force." He paused for a moment, seemingly to listen to something. Naruto strained his ears to hear, but could not catch anything. "It seems I am being called back, and so, I will bid you adieu. Until we meet again boy!" ending his speech in a flourishing bow before retreating back into the shadows.

Naruto's anger still rose to the surface, Set's insults irritating him. He didn't know exactly what Set was talking about, but he didn't care. If he got in the way of his path to Sasuke, he would take him down just like any other.


	19. Part 35: Death in the Cold

Part 3.5: Death in the Cold

The Raikage continued on with the great history of Thunder Country with Tsunade only half-listening. 'He's stalling,' she thought, 'but for what?' The thought of Hiketsu still permeated in her mind, but she decided it would not be wise to discuss in now.

A rapping was suddenly heard on the door. "Raikage-sama," came a voice from behind it, "they are coming."

The Raikage smiled broadly, "Thank you," he said. He then turned back to Tsunade, "I'd like you to introduce you properly to the nin you met yesterday."

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Julius and Set slowly made their way towards the Raikage's inner sanctum, their boots echoing throughout the hallway on the Jade floor. "What the hell does he want anyway," asked Set, "I was in the middle of creating a future masterpiece."

"I'm not sure," replied Julius, his tone melancholy and cold, "but he requested our presence about twenty minutes ago. It would be best not to keep him waiting."

Set snorted indignantly, "Always keeping us down, badgering us constantly with his whims and desires," said Set, the anger rising in his voice again, "He thinks he has us so well leashed doesn't he? That bastard will pay someday for this insult."

"Calm yourself brother," said Julius. They walked onward, farther into the inner sanctum. It was very bright today, and the light shined off every part of the jade palace. The green light turned red as it reflected off of Set's bodysuit, and even his eyes, which mirrored the green light, turning it to the pattern of his own eyes. Set admired the effect, smiling slightly.

"He believes he has absolute control over us," continued Set's griping, "that we dare not breathe without his permission. Someday, someday, I will be free of that arrogant man's grip, and when that day comes, I will be admiring his head over my mantle." They came closer to the Raikage's sanctum, the gigantic double-doors beckoning them forward. A group of three, leaf ninjas were standing next to a pillar, but Set paid them little heed. They were very close to the double doors now, and Set wondered slightly what the Raikage had in store for them. "Still, this Chuunin examination should provide some means of distraction until that day, eh Julius?" Set looked to his right, but realized his brother's footsteps had stopped. "Julius?" he asked.

He looked behind him. Julius had stopped quite a few meters from the Leaf nins they had passed. One was leaning against a pillar, his eyes lazily closed in a type of mock-meditation. The other two were eyeing Julius oddly.

Julius was breathing heavily now, his air coming through clenched teeth. His fists were made into balls; Set could see the muscles tensing in his legs and arms, forming striations against the loose, white cloth around them. His eyes were screwed with fury, as a fire seemed to burn within the pale, green pupils. He was shaking horribly, as his breathing became louder and his lips curled up in a deep snarl. Set eyed his brother curiously; he had never seen Julius in such a rage. Set's eyes widened suddenly, 'The Hyuuga,' he thought. Set chuckled to himself, 'what a hypocrite you are brother.'

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'What the hell,' thought Neji as he eyed the odd Thunder nin dressed in white. He was shaking horribly, but had his back turned to them so that they could only hear what sounded like deep, hard breathing. Hinata looked very apprehensive, but Neji eyed the stranger calmly, readying himself for whatever might happening, already sending chakra to his eyes, preparing the Byakugan.

The stranger turned on his heel, his face aghast with raw fury. His arms were held ready at his sides, in what Neji believed to be a battle stance. His knees were bent heavily, placing all the weight of his body on the balls of his feet; Neji could see the muscles of his legs press against the back of the loose cloth around them, forming heavy striations in the fabric. His arms came quickly into a position straight out in front of him, away from his body, one arm out farther than the other. His fingers were spread out and open, the palms facing towards them. Neji went into a stance of his own; the stranger was in his field of divination, and if 64 strikes were necessary, he was prepared to deliver it. A hand came hard across Neji's front shoulder, halting any advance he might make. Hiashi had come out of meditation and was eyeing the stranger as well. "Who are you," asked Hiashi.

The stranger did not respond, but continued to glare at them, still in a stance for battle. His eyes betrayed any emotions he was holding back, and raw fury seemed to consume him like a wild fire now. His face was contorted in a heated fix, but he remained silent.

Hiashi had activated his Byakugan now, ready to deliver a killing blow to the stranger. "What do you want," he asked, the phrase more of a threat than an actual question.

"I want your blood," replied the stranger, his voice shaking with rage, "and I want your souls. And I want them both, RIGHT NOW!!"

Hiashi released Neji and reared his left hand to strike into the stranger's chest, readying to kill him instantly. Hiashi was about to approach when the taller man in red grabbed the first stranger from behind, locking him in a tight hold. "Take some of your own advice brother," he said, his voice ripe with amusement. His attention then turned to Hiashi, still holding the stranger who was now beginning to calm himself slowly, the fury leaving his eyes again. "You'll have to forgive my brother's zeal," said the red stranger, smiling widely now, "he's not used to seeing so much trash in one place."

Neji watched as any fury Hiashi had built in him was released in a single instant, as he charged forward, quickly cutting down the many meters between them, ready to strike both of the brothers down. Suddenly, the gigantic double-doors behind them burst wide, and a huge wind erupted from them, forcing Neji to close his eyes as the wind burned and teared them. When he opened them again, he was taken aback. The Raikage was standing like a mountain between Hiashi and the two strangers, his hand grasped tightly around Hiashi's outstretched arm. Neji was taken aback in amazement, 'What speed is this?' he thought, looking up at the gigantic man before him. His robes still billowed in the wind he created, and his hat had been lost in the flight, revealing a young face that was scarred horribly, showing signs of battles past. Twin scars traveled down the right side of his face, along with a single down the left. His long, braided, black hair came to a rest on his back, down to his waist.

His face bore no sign of malice as Hiashi pulled his arm from his grasp. The Hokage was right behind them, her face wide with shock at the scene before her. Neji was slowly coming to terms with the events, but Hinata was still wide-eyed with both apprehension and fear. The Raikage glared at Hiashi for a moment, but his attention quickly turned to his own ninjas. "Julius, Set," he said, his eyes darting from the white nin to the red nin, his voice harsh and cold, "wait in my sanctum now." The one called Set released Julius, who seemed to have regained some semblance of composure but was still breathing heavily. His pale green eyes gleamed with hatred, casting a very dark shadow over himself. He quickly turned on his heel and stormed in the other direction, towards the Raikage's inner sanctum. Set watched him go, and then returned his attention to the Raikage. He gave him a mocking curtsey before following his brother. The Raikage tried to hide a scowl on his scarred face, but amidst the scar tissue, cuts, and abrasions, it was hard to tell his facial emotions. Hiashi had deactivated his Byakugan and was now staring transfixed at the Raikage.

"I apologize for their brash behavior," said the Raikage with a bow resembling that of a gracious host, "they are merely overly excited about the upcoming exams. I hope they didn't trouble you."

Neji looked up at Hiashi, who was still feeling the aftereffects of a very emotional confrontation, the chakra and blood pumping wildly through his body. However, Hiashi remained resolute, "They threatened my family and myself," he said, his voice cold and controlled, "I would have killed them both had you not arrived."

The Raikage said nothing at first, but Neji could have sworn he saw a slight grin pass over the Raikage's face, almost a taunting gesture. "I'm sure you would have," he said, his voice still gracious, but said almost like a dare. "However," he continued, "I must not allow either of our sides to come to blows with the other; that is simply not prudent." His gaze shifted over to Tsunade, who was repressing some frustrated anger of her own. "I shall reprimand them myself, and ensure that nothing of this sort precedes the Chuunin exam again."

Hiashi simply stared at the Raikage. He then jerked his head towards the exit of the Jade Palace and walked towards it quickly, Neji and Hinata following suit. Neji still bore an odd feeling about the whole scene, like something was amiss with the whole thing. He looked back one final time to see the Raikage and Tsunade entering back in the chamber, along with the two brothers. Julius still had his eyes transfixed on the Hyuuga, and Neji returned his malicious stare before the gigantic double doors cut them from his sight.

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"I see what you mean about control," said Tsunade, the sarcasm melting off her words.

The Raikage said nothing but took himself back to his seat, his face once again hidden in the darkness under the triangular hat. "There's no need to be rude," he lectured Tsunade, who found it utterly annoying, "I at least will ensure that such a thing does not happen 'twice,' adding much emphasis on the last word. "Now," he continued, ignoring Tsunade's glares, "you say that the one in red here, Izou Set, accosted one of your students in the hotel area?"

Tsunade nodded at the Raikage's statement, her gaze shifting to the pair of tall nins that stood before her. 'Is everyone in this country so tall?' she thought to herself, studying the nins slightly, Set more so than Julius.

"_I don't give a damn what you think woman," he shouted, "wake him back up and prepare him for battle, NOW!!"_

Her gaze drifted towards his shoulder, under which she knew a seal or marking of some sort lay. Her attention came to Set's face, as the nin was giving her a very wicked half-smile now that chilled her slightly.

"Set," came the Raikage's voice again, "I want you to make a formal apology to the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf for your overly brash actions.

Set looked like he had just been slapped in the face, as he jerked his head quickly over to the Raikage, his eyes surprised and furious. 'Seems like there's a lot of that going around anymore,' she thought.

"Do it Set," demanded the Raikage, his voice growing very powerful and authoritative. Set's eyes drifted over to Julius, but the other nin did not make a single movement, his eyes drifting towards the floor, the anger still welling in them. Set then looked straight at Tsunade. Ever since she had first seen him, Tsunade had disliked this boy, but those eyes seemed to intensify everything she felt. They looked almost like they were searching the very depths of her soul, and they appeared so twisted and evil, much like Orochimaru's except red, with two perpendicular lines across the pupil rather than a single slit. They were like no eyes she had ever seen on a human or animal, but she knew that this ninja was trouble, and the sooner these exams were over, the better.

"I..." began Set, his voice trailing slightly; his eyes darting from Tsunade to the Raikage over and over again. "I...am sorry for my...brash...actions...Hokage-sama," the last part of the phrase said through clenched teeth with an enraged expression on his face. Tsunade got a vindictive pleasure from watching his pride take a huge blow and smiled inwardly.

"You are forgiven," she said slowly, allowing Set to take in every word. She could almost see a physical manifestation of the frustration built inside him. However, Tsunade simply gave a soft smile to Set, who turned away quickly.

"Thank you Set," replied the Raikage, "As you can see Tsunade, I have the utmost control over my nin, these two especially. Whether Set started the fight or not is irrelevant compared to how the situation is dealt with. Set will be reprimanded for his participation in the fight, as I believe you nin should be as well."

"I can handle my own students without your help Raikage-sama," she said very politely, despite the annoyance she was feeling.

"Of course," said the Raikage, "although your actions show otherwise. Nevertheless, if there is nothing further than I think our meeting is concluded. Do you have anything left to ask?"

Tsunade searched her mind, but found nothing. Just when she was about to stand and leave, the word reappeared in her mind.

"Raikage-sama," she asked very politely, as it may be a gambit asking the question, "have you ever heard the word Hiketsu?"

The Raikage said nothing at first, his face expressionless, stony, seemingly not wishing to reveal any emotions or other misgivings. "No," he replied in his usual cold voice, "I am not familiar with that word. Why?"

"Just something I've been asking around," replied Tsunade, "Thank you for your time Raikage-sama," she bowed courteously, "but I must return to my dwelling and prepare for the Chuunin examination." She rose from her seat to leave.

"Wait Tsuande-sama," said the Raikage quickly, "there is one other matter I wish to deal with."

Tsunade remained standing but her attention was back on the Raikage. She didn't like having her back exposed to the boys behind her, but she did not regard them as much of a threat.

"In the recent days," said the Raikage, "there have been many attacks on outlying villages. One especially was called, Daibuken, and only a single girl survived the attack. I hear that your encampment was climbing the mountain on the same day this attack happened, and so I was curious, where about were you yesterday, in the very early morning?"

Tsunade could hardly believe what she was hearing. "Are you accusing the Leaf of attacking this village?" she asked, trying hard to maintain her voice level.

"I am accusing no one," replied the Raikage very coolly, "but I have my suspicions Tsunade. Villages don't slaughter themselves, and your encampment was seen by my ANBU on the mountain. I'm sure a whole patrol of ninjas would have no trouble slaughtering a village devoid of any, and two nins that are were unidentified were seen leaving the area, heading into the southern bluffs, an area close to where your encampment was scaling the mountain. Not only that, but the hospital the little girl was housed in was slaughtered mercilessly as well; thankfully she somehow survived. Now this could just be speculation, but it seems the closer you nin get to my country, the more people just seem to die out of thin air. "

Tsunade paused, furious at the Raikage's accusation. "The Leaf would never engage in such an open act of war," she replied, "We respect this land as yours and would never harm your citizens."

The Raikage crossed his arms on his chest, "I'm sure you wouldn't," he said, his voice still cool, "but old hatreds run deep Tsunade. And the other clans here are even wearier of the Leaf than I. I'm just saying that you should remember that you are not in your own land anymore." He rose to his complete height, staring down at Tsunade, "This is my territory," he replied, his voice threatening slightly, "and I have eyes everywhere." He then sat himself back down and waved Tsunade out.

Tsunade did not bother to bow but threw the double-doors aside enough so that they reverberated against the walls and closed shut again. Her heels clicked quick and angrily against the jade floor. 'How dare he,' she thought, 'how can he suspect us of something like that? The Leaf would never..." An image hit her mind, disrupting her train of thought, but she quickly pushed it aside and left out the massive gates of the Jade Palace.

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The double doors closed on their own, cutting off the green light that cascaded around the entrance and could be seen in a sliver under the door itself. The Raikage watched the close and waited for the sound of Tsunade's shoes hitting the floor to die away before continuing on. His face was suddenly contorted in a mixture of rage and satisfaction. "Well played," said Set as the Raikage stood to approach them.

The Raikage only nodded slightly; too much of what Tsunade had said was bothering him, especially Hiketsu. 'What does she know,' he thought to himself, 'or think she knows.' His attention turned back to Julius and Set. "I'm surprised at you Julius," he said, "I had always figured you for the one with some restraint, but I guess I can understand how you feel."

Julius' anger was rising to the surface again, "Impure mongrels," he said, his voice harsh but soft, "decadent, worthless roaches, all of them. They should be purged from this world completely, the arrogant white-eyed freaks of nature."

"Well," said Set, chuckling slightly, "I think you're going to have to hold off your holy crusade for at least a day or two before diving into the fray. Remember what I said about drawing these things out?"

Julius did not respond; he seemed lost in his fury now. Set laughed openly. The Raikage only stared at the spot where Tsunade had been only a few moments ago. 'Hiketsu,' he thought, 'could she...no, that's impossible. I'm the only one who knows about...and the connection with...' His eyes drifted over to Julius and Set, who were paying him little heed. 'This situation has gotten to be more delicate than I had anticipated. I may have to take more drastic measures during this examination. Maybe even...' "You may leave you two; I have no further use for you," the Raikage said.

Set and Julius did not wait any further, and left through the double doors themselves. The Raikage waited until they were a good distance away before barring the door himself. He returned slowly to his own seat on the table, and turned it so that it faced the wall farthest from the door. He sat down, staring at the candles on the dark, bare, wall, his fingers crossed in front of his face. He slowly reached out and grabbed one of the candles, pulling hard. The candle gave way, but quickly returned to its position. A large section of the wall in front of him gave way and turned over, revealing a multitude of different TV screens, all in black and white. He watched them anxiously, and saw Tsunade at the front of the Jade Palace. She was conversing with a white haired ninja who had one eye covered with a leaf forehead protector. The Raiakage's e eyes squinted slightly, more an act of anger than anything else. His eyes drifted over to Julius and Set who were returning to their quarters in the Jade Palace. 'I don't know where she got such information,' he thought, 'but if anyone gets to close, the same fate will await them.'

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"So," said Kakashi, "how did your meeting go?" Kakashi had waited outside the Jade Palace, anxious for Tsunade's return, calmly reading _Flirting Paradise_ as Tsunade approached him.

Tsunade sighed, "Nothing got accomplished," she said, her voice solemn, "in fact I think it only worsened relations between the Cloud and Leaf. He's blaming us for the attacks on his village, and even one in a hospital recently."

Kakashi remained silent for a while, "Something isn't right here," he said, Tsunade nodding in agreement, "things have happened too close in unison for this to be mere coincidence. What about Hiketsu? Did you ask him?"

Tsunade nodded, "Yeah, I asked," she said, "but it didn't look like he knew what I was talking about. That or he's an excellent liar."

"I'm betting on the latter," replied Kakashi, "things just don't add up here."

"Kakashi," said Tsunade, her voice very firm again, "what are we getting into here? What is this Hiketsu thing anyway?"

"Not right now," replied Kakashi, turning on his heel and walking away "it would only-"

Tsunade grabbed Kakashi's shoulder hard and spun him around so that they were on eye level with each other, "Look Kakashi," she said, her voice having an intense rage in it, "people die because of secrets kept and information hidden. What you don't tell me now could place us all in a serious predicament later on. I don't understand, what is this Hiketsu thing about, and why won't you tell me?"

Kakashi looked lazily at her, only hinting slightly to fear that seemed to twinge his voice slightly, "Tsunade," he said, "you wouldn't believe me if I told you. Only when we all truly grasp this situation will you need to know, and believe me, this encompasses far beyond just the Chuunin exams, the Hidden Cloud, and even the countries. Gai and I are the only ones who know about it, and if need be, it will stay that way. Just trust me here Tsunade, because whether you believe me or not, nothing good can come of it now."

Tsunade's emotions seemed to spin in her head; the anger of being kept in the dark was overwhelming her, but Kakashi had never betrayed them before. Tsunade scowled but released Kakashi from her grasp, allowing him to straighten himself out again with a slight groan. "Alright," she said, "but you can't keep this thing from me forever. Just keep in mind, the day you want to divulge such information may be the day its too late to do anything about it." She then walked off, leaving Kakashi by himself in front of the Jade Palace.

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Kakashi watched her leave back towards the center of the city, her steps and stance reeking of anger. Kakashi sighed, blowing the warm air out his mouth only for it to cool in front of him. He looked down at the snow, staring at the tracks it made in it...

_Kakashi looked ahead in horror; the corpses of his fallen comrades lay next to him. It was raining heavily on a snowed ground, leaving the area slushy and moist, and the bodies sank slowly in the earth, as the soft dirt welcomed them to their eternal resting place. Kakashi' breath came out in front of him and cooled in the cold air, fast and hard. He had never felt this terrified in his entire life, the coldness of the air not even comparing to the chilling sensation that was shooting through his body faster than he could comprehend. Every one of the Leaf nins had fallen, their bodies bloody and battered. It had only been nearly twenty minutes ago when they had all been laughing and frolicking in the snow, when they had celebrated for the end of the war, and for a successful mission. When he had told Tiara he loved her, and that he would be with her always; where the warm sensations of love shot through his body like hot water, giving him euphoria he had never felt before. Where Gai and he had been going through challenge after challenge, footraces, mock battles, janken games, while his best friend Obito laughed at their rivalry from the side. It had been the perfect day, nothing could change that._

_And now, hell had come to their camp. The sound of snapping bone, gurgled screams, wet cracks and slices, and terrified cries for help filled the air. Gai lay a few feet from him, dead or unconscious he wasn't sure, but blood was slowly trickling from his mouth. Obito was attempting to resuscitate a fallen nin a few feet from Kakashi, keeping cool amidst the piles of dead that surrounded them. And in the middle of it all, stood a single figure. The figure's back was turned to him, a long, black caped billowed in the wind, revealing a heavy blacken, mesh armor that clung to his figure, showing the muscles that contorted and twisted underneath it. A bright, silver ponytail wrapped in a single, red ribbon swayed in the wind, as the thick, spiky, silvery hair, glistened and moved in the rain. The water did not even seem to touch him, like he did not exist in this world, but was merely passing through to the next. His skin was frightfully pale, giving him an almost sickly look. His long, muscular arms cradled a corpse in his hands, Tiara's corpse. She looked at him, her eyes unmoving, sunken, and cold. Her mouth was open trailing blood that trickled down to the brown, snow beneath them, staining it eternally in his mind. Her body had been shredded, but was still identifiable; he had left her in tact. _

_The figure slowly turned on his heel, the heavy, black boots making a dull splash in the snow, and faced Kakashi, his face still within the darkness, only his lucent eyes showed in the shadows. They were had no pupil, no color, nothing that seemed even remotely human. They were merely white globes placed in his head to fill the empty spot where eyes should be. Kakashi could see Tiara's lifeless body limp in his hands, his long fingernails leaving indentations on her still, soft skin. Kakashi felt the bile rise in his throat, but choked it down. Still, the fear did not leave him, but continued shooting through his body. The anger and hatred for the death of his love and friends seemed irrelevant now, only a cold fear consumed him. _

"_Kakashi!" came Obito's voice, panicked but maintaining a semblance of strength, "What are you doing, come to your senses dammit! Let's save who we can and get the hell out of here!" Kakashi still did not move, but only watched the stranger, his eyes wide, his body shaking._

_The figure began mumbling something, a short phrase that Kakashi could not decipher. He bent his neck over Tiara's lifeless body and moved his pale lips to her mouth, embracing it tightly. Suddenly, Tiara's body grew rigid again as the figure let her down on her battered feet. Kakashi could not believe his eyes as his love began to walk slowly towards him. She seemed to be in a trance, her eyes wide, her mouth still slowly dribbling blood down from her chin onto the snow below. Her steps were slow, plodding, barely able to maintain her balance. _

"_Tiara," his shaky voice said, "you're okay? What happened?"_

_Tiara continued to walk towards him in a trance like state, her arms now outstretched in an expectant embrace. Kakashi laughed; he didn't know why, but his mind seemed to have snapped at this point. Even Obito looked on in horror as Tiara walked closer to Kakashi. Kakashi's nervous laughter continued, but quietly so. He held out his arms, ready to embrace his fallen love._

_Suddenly, Tiara's pale skin turned grey and thin, her eyes became a pupiless red, and her lips curled back to have an unearthly wale emit from them. She charged at Kakashi now, her hands turning into claws ready to rip him apart. Still, Kakashi did not move, but merely stood in shock, awaiting his love's claws to send him to the other world. _

"_Fire Element, Red Dragon's Fire Jutsu," came Obito's voice as white-hot flames came to meet Tiara, burning her completely, her wailing continuing as she danced amidst the giant flames. The sharp whistling of her skin burning under the pressure pierced through the air, the brightness of the flame blinding Kakashi..._

Kakashi was shaking again, his eyes wide with fear, though only one was visible. He was on his knees, breathing hard as the memory flooded his senses again. He quickly regained his composure and stood straight up, his face stoic again. He looked up at the sky, the sun still burning bright in it, resembling Obito's jutsu.

'Never again,' he thought, 'Please. We survived the wrath of hell once, lets not go through it again.' He began to slowly make his way back to the hotel, his mind distraught with the feelings he was receiving.

A/N: I decided to write Jutsu names in mostly English rather than try to play off like I know any Japanese. Also the reason why a lot of characters names don't sound completely Japanese, I'm just not that fluent or edumactated. : )

Also, I don't do any shounen-ai, or yaoi, if that's the right word for it. Basically, I don't do same sex pairings. Got nothing against it, it's just not my cup of tea. Hope I didn't disappoint any of you. But anyways, thanks for reviewing. I write this story because I like to write myself, but getting it reviewed helps immensely. So thanks to everyone who took time out to review it in the past or future as this story is still nowhere near full completion. It's going to be a long one, hope you enjoy.


	20. Part 36 Barroom Blitz

Part 3.6: Barroom Blitz

Lee kicked the side of the steel beam again, adding to the sizeable dent and considerable pain he felt in his leg. Nearly an hour had passed since Gai-sensei had issued the challenge to them both, and Naruto still had not shown up. Lee continued to pound on the steel beam, each resounding kick sending shockwaves of pain throughout his body. His shins had already bled twice now, and large splotches of blood could be seen through his bodysuit; still, as much as he loved Gai-sensei's new training technique, he was eager to spar with Naruto.

"_The Hyuuga lost."_

Those words still rang true in his mind; Naruto had beaten the man who not so long ago, Lee's sole purpose was to beat. He trained single-mindedly for that day, only for it to be taken away from him, so that the Chuunin rank would not even be considered for him.

Lee gave the beam a particularly strong kick, placing a large dent on the other side of the beam. 'All that work,' he thought, 'all that time, all the pain endured, and my opportunity was taken from me.' His thoughts strayed even further. Tsunade had just completed a most excruciating surgery on him, removing bone fragments from his spinal column. As soon as he was able to walk again, he hurried off to help his friends bring back Uchiha Sasuke, and yet, still then. He had come up against a most formidable foe, the most powerful of the sound nins, Kimmimaro. A genius with a superior bloodline unlike any he had encountered before. Although the battle was hazy for the most part, his loss still rang true in his mind; he instead had to be saved by the sand nin Gaara, who had beaten him previously. Gaara even refused to let him fight. Ever since he got back, those two humiliating defeats rang in his mind, driving him on, past his own threshold of pain several times. He worked harder than he had ever before, pushing himself past previous limits in hopes that finally, he would defeat a true genius using his nindo of hard work. Yet, the opportunity had yet to present itself, until now.

Now, the Chuunin exam would begin, and the best and most powerful of all the clans would gather together, giving him another opportunity to prove his ninja worth. 'This time, things will be different,' he thought, 'this time, everyone will see what a nindo of hard work is really capable of. Neji, Sasuke, Gaara, and Naruto, you all will be competing in this exam, and I will show you all that a nindo of hard work can accomplish anything. I will be victorious; I am the amazing Azure Beast Rock Lee, I CANNOT LOSE!'

"Konoha Senpuu," he yelled aloud, giving the beam a gigantic whirlwind kick that bent the entire beam at the middle. Lee grimaced heavily as the painful sensations shot down his leg and reverberated through his entire body. Lee looked to his right to see Gai-sensei looking down at him, a big smile plastered on his face. TenTen was resting against a nearby wall having just finished her sparring session with Gai. Lee returned to a normal stance and saluted his sensei.

"You really have come a long way," he said, laughing slightly, "not only are you the spitting image of the most dashing ninja in the world," smiling brightly so that his teeth reflected the light, "you have become so strong in such a short period of time. You all have," motioning to TenTen as well. "I wonder where Naruto is though," said Gai sensei, his voice somewhat worrying, "He should not be missing out on his sensei's praise, or his sparring session."

Suddenly, the double doors opened wide. Naruto was standing there breathing heavily. His eyes looked strange, almost red rather than the blue they were normally, and the pupil was slitted, like a cat's rather than the normal round. He walked forward, into the candle lit area.

"You are exactly 1 hour 5 minutes and 23 seconds late Naruto," said Gai, "a ninja's most important duty is to be punctual at all times. I know your previous sensei may have taught you otherwise," he said with a chuckle, "but you should know by now that I expect the apprentices of the teachings of the azure beast to be on time. You mustn't waste your precious youth." He then gave Naruto the thumb's up pose, along with a shining smile. Naruto said nothing, he simply looked at the ground, his mind far away.

Lee looked at Naruto with concern. "Naruto, Gai-sensei is speaking to you," he said, wondering if Naruto had heard the message. Still, Naruto said nothing.

"Never mind that," said Gai quickly, "Alright my two bright, young students, it is time for a mock, chuunin examination battle. This will be fought Leaf style as even the most brilliant Azure Beast is unsure of what trials await you in the exam. Lee, to the right side; Naruto to the left. Stand at the line in front of you and do not begin until I say 'explode!'. In this match, anything goes, but do not try to permanently maim or kill your teammate. All right then, line up on your side."

Lee quickly scampered over to the right side of the line, getting into his fighting stance. His heart was racing, pumping blood through his body, readying him for the confrontation. He looked over at Naruto, who only an hour before had been just as excited as he over this match. Now, Naruto looked like he was in a lost fury. Lee felt a pang of concern for his teammate, but quickly shoved it from his mind. 'Naruto will snap out of it once we begin,' thought Lee, 'I need him to go all out in order to improve myself.' Naruto finally looked up at Lee, who met his eyes. They were quite frightful, as if a different person was staring back at Lee; not Naruto, but an entity composed of pure hatred, malice, and strife. 'What is wrong with him,' thought Lee.

"Explode!" yelled Gai, signaling the start of the match.

Lee's became single-minded once again, observing his opponent, figuring out the optimal way to attack and defend. Naruto did not move, but merely stared at Lee, growling slightly. "Well," said Lee, "if you're not going to come to me, I will go to you!" Lee charged forward, one hand held out in front of him, his footsteps echoing off the hard wood floor as he made a fast approach. Lee smiled slightly, expecting Naruto to react to his attack, yet Naruto still stared at him, his fiery gaze piercing through him. Lee continued forward, his powerful legs pushing him incredibly fast across the hard floor, until he began encircling Naruto in an green blur, kicking dust into the air and splintering the wood slightly. Still, Naruto did nothing but looked ahead, his eyes completely red now, progressing with each pass Lee made around him Finally, Lee made his move, pushing off one of his legs into a jumping kick that hit Naruto square in the back, knocking him on his stomach a few meters away. Lee returned to his stance, confused as to why Naruto was not fighting back.

Lee watched as Naruto got to his feet, his teeth bared now, revealing sharp fangs, with eyes behind which a furious blaze burned. Naruto charged forward at Lee, his hands outstretched, ready to seemingly tear Lee apart. Lee dodged Naruto's charge, raising his knee up and out to hit Naruto in the stomach. His hit connected, but did not phase Naruto. Naruto simply grabbed onto his leg and pulled him through the air. Lee's eyes went wide with shock as he had not expected such strength from Naruto. He landed with a crash into the wooden floor below, stomach first, knocking the wind out of him. Lee coughed loudly before getting up onto his knees. However, Naruto charged in again, bringing his own knee into Lee's chin with such force it knocked him against he far wall. Lee felt like he had been hit by a bull as his jaw still clattered from the impact of the hit. He winced in pain, but opened his eyes quickly, to see a monstrous Naruto charging at him again. Lee quickly rolled to his left and retreated backwards, getting some distance to which he could regroup and counter. Naruto smashed into the wall he had been seconds before, kicking up dust and debris into the air. Lee stood in his stance, staring into the dust cloud, not daring to look elsewhere. 'This isn't Naruto,' he thought, 'Where did he get such power?' Naruto was on his feet, his back slightly bent, his hands made into fists as he stared at Lee with unearthly eyes. Lee merely stared back, not wanting to miss any move Naruto made.

"Kage Bunshin," he yelled, his voice imitating a snarl, and nearly fifty Naruto clones, each with the same expression as the original, surrounded Lee. Lee looked around him, 'He's certainly going all out,' he thought, 'but something here just isn't right.'

The clones charged forward, aiming to take Lee down. Lee dodged one coming from the side and had to move quickly as they began to come simultaneously from all directions. He jumped straight up, narrowly avoiding one that was clawing for his legs. His hands grasped around the railing above him, as he regained his balance on the ledge side.

He looked down at the Narutos below him; each one had a look of sheer fury on their faces, slitted pupils, and a slightly hunched stance, almost beast like. His mind was racing, desperate to find a way to defeat Naruto. 'I'm outnumbered badly,' he thought, 'and I can't wait here forever.' He looked all around the complex, desperate for a solution.

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Gai watched his student struggle against a demonic Naruto. 'Naruto's losing control again,' he thought, 'Lee, you're going to have to think on your feet if you want to beat him. He seems to be in complete sync with the Kyuubi anymore, but he has no control over his emotions. I'll have to remedy that soon.' He watched further, examining the situation as Naruto's clones made their way closer to Lee, jumping up on the rafter with him. 'Think Lee,' thought Gai, attempting to silently give his student advice, 'a ninja needs to use his environment properly; I know I taught you that, just don't go overboard."

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Lee looked to his left and quickly turned to his right, brushing stray strands of hair out of his eyes. Naruto's clones were coming in slowly, attacking him from both sides. 'I'm trapped,' he thought, 'even if I beat these two, more will follow. If I jump, the ones below me will surely attack.' He moved slightly, shaking the beam with him. Suddenly, Lee's eyes went wide, and a wicked smile went across his face. He looked up and drove his hands, fingers first, into the stone roof, hard. The pain was horrible, but he drove his fingers in further, attempting to create a ledge with which he could balance himself. The clones came closer, their steps vibrating the beam horrible; the metal clang of the steel heard under their sandals. Lee brought himself into a curled position, holding himself to the roof using his hands and brought his knees to his chest. He hung in midair, waiting for the clones to get closer, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead as the clones approached. Their eyes were wide, and Lee could hear the rhythm of their heavy breathing as they got closer, yet he waited patiently.

The Naruto clones bent their legs, ready to jump at a prone Lee. 'Now!' Lee thought. He drove his legs into the beam itself, shaking both the clones and the beam horribly. Loose screws fell from the roof and hit the wooden floor with a tiny clink as the beam vibrated wildly at the power of Lee's barrage. 'Again,' he thought, and pulled his knees to his chest quickly and rammed the beam again with his feet, rocking it even further. The clones struggled to maintain their balance as the beam vibrated again. 'One more,' he thought, driving his legs into the beam another time.

This time, the beam could take no more and collapsed from the roof, taking part of the ceiling with it as a pile of debris came crashing down on Naruto's clones. Lee heard the satisfying pop of all of Naruto's clones disappearing at once, watching as the debris kicked an enormous dust cloud in the air. Lee breathed a sigh of relief and then released himself to land on the wooden ground with a hard thud. His fingers felt mangled and broken, but satisfyingly so. Lee checked the area for signs of Naruto. 'I hope I didn't go too far,' he thought, searching the area for his comrade. He then heard a low growl from behind him. Lee's eyes went wide, and he turned around fast enough to see Naruto slam into his stomach full force. Lee felt himself propelled backwards until he hit the far wall on the other side of the compound. The blood rose into his mouth, but he choked it down into his stomach, leaving a sickly taste of copper in his mouth.

Naruto had slammed into him full force, driving his fist into Lee's stomach. Naruto continued, driving his fist deeper into Lee's abdomen. Lee could feel the immense pressure that Naruto was placing on him, and the air left him as Naruto struck harder into his diaphragm. Lee reared up a kick to his chest and pushed Naruto back with it, his lungs desperately taking in air. 'I don't know what's up with Naruto,' he thought, 'but I can't lose again, not here.' He resumed his battle stance and watched Naruto, his eyes calculating.

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Naruto back away from Lee, slowly. He could hear Lee's heavy breathing, somewhat choked as Naruto had smelt the blood rise in his throat. He bore his teeth again tensed the muscles in his legs, preparing another strike. Suddenly, he hesitated.

"**What are you doing? Don't give him any let up."**

"But, Lee is my comrade, my friend, not my enemy.

"**That point is irrelevant. The 'Rock Lee' would just as soon attack you. Remember, you have nothing but your hatred, no friends, no relatives, everything was taken from you by him."**

"That's not true. I have friends. Lee is my friend, and TenTen, and Gai, and Sakura, even though she can be a little bossy sometimes, and Hinata, and Kakashi, and..."

"**ENOUGH! I have heard enough of your childish banter. You of all people should know that you cannot happily ride the fence expecting to have everything simply given to you, both friends and revenge."**

"But, is that what I want? Sasuke...still, even now...I can't just turn my back on him. This anger, this seething rage, it-"

"**It makes you strong fool! It is what gives you the power necessary to bring about your will; to make your dreams come true. This power is what will garner the acknowledgement of everyone, and give you the goal you've strived for so long, the feeling of being totally complete. All you need is your anger, your hate, your uncontrollable strife to survive and move forward in this world. Do not allow sentiment to cloud your judgment. Remember, it is not you who turned your back on Sasuke; he turned on you, and the only way to truly make him see the truth of his mistake is to beat him at his own game. That is the way of the ninja, the true path."**

"But-"

Naruto was knocked back into reality when a strong kick to the face knocked him sideways. "I told you Naruto," came Lee's voice, "do not underestimate me. I know you are strong, but you letting me win will not make either of us stronger. Come on!"

Naruto slowly got to his feet. The rage was seething through him again, transforming his features. He did not see Lee anymore, only Sasuke, standing in Lee's place. He squinted his eyes, furrowing his brow, and prepared for an all out assault.

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Lee watched as Naruto hunched his body, no doubt preparing to attack. Lee looked down at his legs, 'I don't know,' he thought, 'now may be the time. I'm sure it would surprise everyone here.' He looked over at his sensei, seeking permission, but soon found that to be a mistake as Naruto charged in again, looking more beastly than ever. Lee attempted to kick Naruto off of him as they both sailed through the air, but Naruto grabbed hold of Lee's arm and drove his fist into Lee's chest. Lee sailed straight down, connecting with the floor below him, breaking the wood beneath it. Lee winced in pain, but quickly opened his eyes and rolled out of the way, dodging Naruto's attack. He barely had time to recuperate before Naruto was on him again. He backed away but felt a hard slash across his chest. He looked down at his suit to see four light cuts on his chest, deep enough to break skin and begin bleeding Lee. 'Claw marks,' he thought, 'what the hell?' He looked up at Naruto as Lee ran backwards quickly. 'I don't have a choice now,' he thought. He stopped suddenly and began to pull up the orange sleeves around his ankles, but the second he stopped, Naruto was on him again, driving him hard against the far wall, pinning Lee's arms against his body. Lee looked down at Naruto, as Naruto let out a terrifying scream that shook the building itself, applying yet more pressure to Lee's chest as his fist hit it repeatedly. Lee freed both his arms and pushed Naruto's hand desperately away. Naruto did not budge; Lee felt desperation begin to consume him as he drove his bowled head into Naruto's face, again and again, feeling Naruto's nose break under the pressure. Naruto back off slightly, holding his face with one hand. A slow trickle of blood made its way down Lee's mouth. "Konoha Senpuu," he yelled, attempting to deliver a whirlwind kick to Naruto's exposed midsection. He felt like the kick was moving in slow motion as fast as Naruto moved, catching his leg and sending Lee sprawling into the pile of debris, feeling his own head ram into a large steel beam.

"That's enough Naruto, Lee. This match is officially ended," yelled Gai, "back off from each other."

Lee stood up and looked back at Naruto. His nose didn't even seem to be broken, in fact it appeared as if Lee did not even phase Naruto. 'Dammit,' he thought, 'Have I lost aga-' he did not have time to finish the thought as Naruto attacked him again, grabbing him from behind and slamming him to the wooden floor.

"NARUTO!" yelled Gai, anger and panic flooding in his voice. Lee coughed blood out of his mouth as he felt Naruto turn him on his back and place a tremendous amount of pressure on his throat. Lee choked horribly, having to use both hands to release some of the pressure Naruto had on him. He could feel his lungs burning desperately for oxygen, but his body was pinned, Naruto straddling him so that he was well out of reach of his kicks. Lee tried as hard as he possibly could to remove Naruto's hand from his throat, all the while staring into eyes of pure fury and hatred.

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Naruto looked down as Sasuke struggled to remove his hand from his throat. 'Do you understand now,' he thought to himself, as if Sasuke could hear his mind, 'do you understand the pain you've caused me and everyone! DO YOU!'

Naruto felt a tremendous pain in his stomach as something hit him with the force of a tsunami, sending him backwards and through the wall to the side of him. He looked up to see himself in the snow. He was holding his midsection gingerly, 'What the hell hit me,' he thought. He looked back to see Lee coughing heavily on the floor, blood issuing from his mouth, while Gai looked down at him with a fury he had never seen before. Naruto had never seen Gai-sensei in a real tantrum before, but he could understand why some people thought he was terrifying.

"What do you think you were doing," he yelled, his voice furious, "when your sensei tells you to stop, you stop! The match was over whenever I decided it was over, no matter how you may feel at the time! I did not want to have to do that Naruto, but it seemed that a nice jar to your senses was exactly what you needed!" He sighed deeply, calming himself down quite quickly. "TenTen," he said, back into the building. TenTen was examining Lee, who was pushing himself up, attempting to get back on his feet, refusing help from anyone. "Take Lee to the local hospital," he continued, "and inform Tsunade that he is there."

"I can still train sensei," came Lee's determined voice, "I'm perfectly alright. I can even continue sparring-" His last sentence came with a cough of blood that he quickly wiped with the sleeve of his suit.

"Lee," said Gai in a very serious tone, "just go for now. I promise we'll train later on, but right now, I have to take some time out with your comrade. Don't worry, I promise we'll train later." He then flashed his shiny smile and thumbs up at Lee, who feebly returned it. Lee walked shakily on his feet, but he was still looking very dejected and humiliated. TenTen followed close behind, shooting a very dirty look at Naruto as she went. Gai watched them leave in the distance and then turned back to Naruto, his eyes fiery, and his face very serious.

"I think its time we curbed that temper of yours Naruto," said Gai.

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"Welcome Otokage-sama," said the Raikage in a cordial manner, bowing deeply.

Orochimaru returned the gesture and took a seat opposite the Raikage's. The Raikage did the same, sitting opposite Orochimaru. "So Otokage," he said, "what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Have you considered my proposal," asked Orochimaru, his raspy voice filling the room.

The Raikage said nothing for a moment. "Yes," he said, "I have been considering it. But a few details still bother me. First, I still don't find you trustworthy, but that is another matter entirely. Second, I can't give you an answer until the end of these examinations, when I'm sure what you say is true. However, I will say this. I have no love for their Hokage or for the Leaf, but you originate from that same Leaf. During a good portion of the Fifty Years War, you sannins were known and feared throughout the land for slaughtering Hidden Cloud brigades. How can I trust a man whose past ambitions have included killing my allies?"

Orochimaru did not have an answer for this; he had expected the point to come up, but there was nothing he could say that would reassure the Raikage. 'Damn,' he thought, 'Playing up to this pompous ass, if he knows who I am he should be on his knees thanking me for not killing him where he stands.' However, Orochimaru smiled and bowed slightly to the Raikage, "I understand Raikage-sama," he said, hiding the malice within him under layers of cordial speech.

The Raikage nodded back at him, "Well then," he said, "is there anything else you would like to discuss?"

Orochimaru paused; there had been something on his mind ever since his encounter with the red and white nins. "I do have one other question Raikge-sama," his raspy voice going slowly, as if picking his words carefully, "There were two nins here the other day, one dressed in an odd, red jumpsuit and the other dressed in a loose, white robe. I have never seen them before, and I was wondering just who they were?"

The Raikage paused as well, staring fixated at Orochimaru. Then, to Orochimaru's surprise, he laughed loudly, "Feeling a bit apprehensive are we Orochimaru," he said, his tone still chuckling, "Afraid my own soldiers may outshine yours?"

'What impertinence,' thought Orochimaru. However, he kept his emotions hidden and remained silent, awaiting the Raikage's answer.

"Their names are Kusemono Julius and Izou Set. They will be competing in this Chuunin examination alongside your own nins. They're basically average nins who are competing in this examination for the first time; as for their odd dress, I guess it's just fashion. I never was one to keep up with the times," he said, chuckling slightly again.

Orochimaru laughed mirthlessly at the Raikage. The explanation he gave him did not sway his feelings, but he knew the Raikage would say no more on the subject. "Well," said Orochimaru, "I must be attending to my students, and I must leave. Thank you for your time," the politeness in his voice was very forced, although he hid it well. Orochimaru then walked out the double doors, pushing them open with as much force as his arms could muster, and stepped out into the hall, towards the exit of the Jade Palace.

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Orochimaru walked from the Raikage's palace, his mind filled with different thoughts, compounding off each other and striking outward in hopes of escaping. His mind wandered to past events, and his own history...

_Orochimaru had chosen this spot to do his experiments. It was hidden from any persons of the Leaf and would allow him the ability to conduct in private. Past subjects, now dead hung on the walls, the chains the only thing to support them. The place reeked of blood and viscera. Orochimaru could still remember the wails and screams of his victims as he operated on them._

'_It has to be when they're alive,' he thought. He looked back over to the book in his possession, studying it intently. 'This is so complex,' he thought, 'but it should be no trouble; I am after all the strongest and cleverest of the three.' The book had many odd diagrams and jutsus within it that Orochimaru did not recognize, but one thing in the book stuck in his mind, immortality. The entire basis on which the book was written was the search for immortality using the human jutsu. Orochimaru could chart the progress of the author or authors of the literature, as he started out using simple jutsus, to experiments on animals, to the evisceration of human beings themselves. Orochimaru had gotten to this point rather quickly himself, and was already extrapolating on the points the author had first hit on. _

'_It's not the body,' he thought, 'it has to do with the soul, the body is merely a container. Yet that container maintains the soul. What were these people trying to do? What would this accomplish?" He flipped ahead in the book. Near the end it took more of an approach to a journal than anything else._

"'_I'm so close now," he read aloud, "the final stages are almost implemented and ready. Many have died, but their sacrifices will not be in vain as I will rise amongst them a god among men, and damned be those who stand in my way.' How egotistical." He continued with his work, getting back to the corpse in front of him, driving deeper into the body, attempting to divine its secrets._

_A light breeze blew past Orochimaru as he quickly jerked his head up towards the entrance. Nothing was there, but the candles that lit the room had swayed slightly, casting a dancing shadow on the wall. His yellow eyes pierced through the darkness, divining presence based on body heat rather than any corporeal presence. Still, there was nothing. However, his instincts were panicking, sending electrical impulses through his body, tightening his muscles and racing adrenaline through his system. He stepped forward, making sure to not touch any of the blood or bile that lay on the floor. His footsteps echoed slightly on the floor as he pulled a kunai from his belt._

"_Your technique is flawed," came a cold, monotone voice from behind him. Orochimaru quickly spun around and drove his kunai forward, towards the source of the sound, but only managed to drive it into the shadows behind him. _

'_What the hell,' he thought. He looked around again, sensing for someone's presence. Something was here, but he could not tell who or what it was, or pinpoint it's location. The feeling seemed to be coming from all around him. "Who the hell are you!?" he shouted into the darkness. _

"_I have been watching you," replied the voice, "Your training, your mastery, your recognition as a sannin amongst the villagers. Everything, and now, I watch a young me try so desperately for that which has eluded man since the dawn of time, immortality."_

"_Show yourself," Orochimaru demanded. His hands were free again, ready to perform a capturing jutsu quickly when necessary. He heard footsteps behind him, where the entrance was. Someone was slowly coming down the stone steps, a heavy thud heard as large boots hit the steps one after the other. Orochimaru smiled to himself, quickly making the hand seals necessary for a capture and killing jutsu. He held the jutsu now, only needing to say the words to activate it. The steps grew louder, each one stronger than the last, almost booming now. Finally, Orochimaru saw the faint outline of a booted foot come into view, followed by the entire figure of a caped man. His hair was spiked at the top, and a long ponytail was thrown over his shoulder. Something was tied around it, but Orochimaru did not wait._

"_Hidden Snake Hands," he yelled, as live serpents thrust forward from his arms, entangling and biting the man, their deadly venom being thrust into his veins. Orochimaru smiled broadly, but his smile quickly vanished as the snakes quickly turned a sickly brown color, and decomposed quickly off the man, leaving only their skeletons and bits of flesh behind. The man brought one arm up and dusted a snake's remains off his shoulder. Orochimaru could not get a clear view of the man, but a long cloak enveloped him, and a large black cloth had been placed around his eyes, hiding them from view. Orochimaru took an offensive stance, ready to attack the man at a moment's notice; he could not let him leave here alive. "Who the hell are you," he asked, his words resounding a threat more than a question._

"_I am, an author," he replied slowly, allowing the words to sink in. Orochimaru's eyes went wide._

"_That's impossible," he said, his raspy voice growing furious now, "this book is ancient, hundreds of years old, preserved only by certain jutsus placed over it. I find it hard to believe that the person who authored it is standing before me."_

"_Believe what you will," came the cold voice again, exhaling deeply, issuing forth what looked a cold stream of air from his mouth. "Still, you are not doing it right."_

_Orochimaru stared at the man before him. He was only the same height as Orochimaru himself, as they stood eye to supposed eye to each other. Orochimaru smiled and shook his head, "I don't need your advice," he said, his voice arrogant, "you're just some low-level idiot who happened to wander where you shouldn't belong."_

_The stranger said nothing, but raised his arms slowly from beneath the long cape. Orochimaru readied another jutsu, a fire element that would burn the stranger to a crisp, making his body unidentifiable. The stranger however, only placed his hands on either side of the doorway, mumbling something incoherent. Orochimaru stared at him, 'He's either a drunk, or an idiot, either way-'_

_Suddenly, a loud wail was heard to the side of him. He looked to his right, his eyes wide with shock and fear as a corpse chained to the wall, his body still bloody and mangled, clawed at Orochimaru, wailing loudly. Other's joined in unison to the first, coming alive, clawing for Orochimaru, until the entire room was a cacophony of wailing and moaning coming from the long dead strapped to the walls around him. _

_Orochimaru looked back at the man. He still stood there; his arms at his sides again, obscured by the black cape that encompassed him. "What the hell are you?" Orochimaru asked, his voice quavering. Orochimaru quickly regained him composure and began laughing at the stranger. "That's a neat trick," he said with a chuckle, "what is it, an animation jutsu, a genjutsu of some sort. If you're trying to scare me, you haven't succeeded."_

"_I'm trying to educate you Orochimaru," he replied, "These lifeless husks are nothing because they contain no soul, their container was damaged beyond repair for the soul to stay any longer. You should know this; I wrote it in the book you put so much stock in," he said, pointing towards the journal. _

_Orochimaru picked up the book and flipped through it. 'He's right,' he thought, 'word for word, the complete pages on soul transfusion.' He looked at the stranger curiously, "So, what do you want then?"_

"_I have recently created something that is in need of testing," he said, ", and I will need assistance. I have been admiring your ambition for quite some time Orochimaru; many have tried to duplicate my work, but all have failed. You on the other hand, work ceaselessly towards the goal of immortality. Why, do you fear death so much?"_

_Orochimaru did not answer; it was true, he feared death. To be just another one of these lifeless husks, no power, no thought, it terrified him. Orochimaru merely glared at the stranger, "Say I do help you," he said, refusing to answer the question, "what do I get in return?"_

"_That which you seek, I know," he replied, his voice still cold, but softer now._

_Orochimaru did not know what to think. Every sense in his body said to just kill the bastard and be done with it. He didn't know this man; it could very well be some sort of trick to lure him out in the open. He knew Sarutobi suspected him of the many disappearances in the area; this could be a trap to get him to admit to those crimes. Every instinct, every sense in his body told him to eviscerate the enigma, destroy him before he can turn on you. Even what he said did not make sense, why would he teach him? Surely he could procure subjects on his own; he could test them. There wasn't even any evidence that this new power was even worth his time. Still..._

_Orochimaru looked at the book in his hands. He had read and reread it over and over again, divining what he could from it. He understood every word, theory, jutsu within it, but it seemed incomplete. Like there was something missing from it; something just out of his grasp. He looked at the lifeless bodies on the walls, still clawing desperately at him like deranged zombies. 'No,' he thought, 'that will not be me. By any means, I will have what I seek. I don't know what this man wants, or what he wishes to test, but...'_

"_I agree to your terms," said Orochimaru finally, "what do you want from me?"_

_The stranger remained stoic. There was no emotion in him, his face was stone, his eyes, shrouded, everything about him seemed to scream a warning to everyone. "Procure an apprentice," he said, "it will be the first subject. I need someone of considerable strength and charka control. Do this for me, and I will show you immortality."_

_Orochimaru nodded, 'If all else fails,' he thought, 'I can just kill this man and be done with it.' He smiled slightly, "What's your name stranger."_

_The man raised his arms and removed the cloth from around his eyes, and Orochimaru shuddered slightly at the sight of him. White globes appeared in his sockets, devoid of anything resembling eyes. Pupiless, white, and barren, they seemed to suit him._

"_Hiketsu," he said. _

Orochimaru scowled horribly, his mind contemplating on past events. He looked down at his own arms. 'This is the third body I've had,' he thought, 'and yet, I still fear death.' He walked on back towards his lodgings, preparing for tomorrow's tribulations.

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Julius sat in quiet meditation on top of the tallest spire in the Jade Palace. The wind slowly whipped around him, tossing his hair and clothing, and shuddering them. However, Julius sat with his eyes closed, in a stock still position, contemplating the events circling around him. His breathing was quiet, rhythmic, and cold as each passing breath cooled in the air, forming a temporary steam in front of him. He sat with his legs crossed over one another, his hands on his knees, unmoving, only thinking on times past.

"Again brother," came a voice behind him, "you really can be such a bore sometimes."

Julius did not respond as he heard the metallic clank of Set's boots come closer to him. "You know," he said, his voice in somewhat an amused tone, "from what I've heard, you and that Uchiha boy aren't too dissimilar."

"Don't compare me with that filth," responded Julius quickly. There was silence between them again; Julius felt a tense feeling flow throughout his body. He suddenly felt a strong hand placed on his shoulder and opened his eyes to see Set's hand, gently squeezing his shoulder.

"How do you really know what you are," he asked mockingly, "you weren't even alive when the attacks took place, when the Uchiha and Hyuuga strike force killed the Thunder Bloodlines. You don't have any family to trace back to; no clansmen to tell you of such an abominable thing that the Leaf did, yet still, you hate them as if you saw it yourself. The Raikage could just be filling your empty head with lies in order to make you easier to control. Why brother?"

Julius was silent for quite a while. Set had a legitimate point on him, but still. "It is my purpose," he said, "I have been granted powers most righteous as have you. With them, I can fulfill the revenge that this entire country screams out for. I am the divine mediator, here to exact godly punishment upon those who stand against us. We are weapons Set, plain and simple, and my task as a weapon is to drive the Leaf to ruin."

"How poetic," said Set chuckling slightly, "but how easily manipulated you are brother."

"I know," replied Julius, his voice still stoic and cold, "but right now, I don't serve any other purpose, so why fight that which has been destined for me."

Set laughed aloud this time, bursting into a loud belly laugh. "What's so funny?" asked Julius.

"You!" replied Set loudly, still laughing openly at Julius, "You're such the tragic hero. A man conquered by destiny to take revenge against those who wounded him. I...I think I could cry. Please brother, get over yourself; we are what we want to be, nothing more. Fate is a nonexistent thing. My life is my own, and my purpose is to paint this world a mosaic with its own blood, but first, I have some minor business to take care of."

"You're really obsessed with him now aren't you," asked Julius.

Set chuckled slightly, "Yes," he replied, "his spirit is a thing of beauty. I have never seen such immense rage and utter hatred before; it excites me so. Take your, revenge schemes and divine punisher excuses as a reason to fight brother, but I fight and destroy for the pure and absolute beauty in it."

Julius smiled slightly at his brother, "Well then," he said, "to death, our mutual ally."

"Yes," said Set, highly amused, "to death," cackling loudly as it echoed on into the midday sky.

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Naruto stood before Gai, looking up at his sensei. 'What is he going to do,' he thought, 'I have to get to my training with the perverted hermit too. Still...' The thought of going so overboard with Lee panged him with guilt. He had not wished to harm his friend like that, but the rage seemed to consume him anymore.

"Alright Naruto," said Gai, the cheerfulness returning to his voice, "We're going to play a most helpful and brilliant game."

"A game," asked Naruto, "I thought we were going to train or do something useful."

Gai laughed aloud, "In this game, you are my shadow," he said, "you will do everything that your sensei does, move for move, perfectly. We'll do this all night if we have to, and I won't let you leave until I'm satisfied with the results."

Naruto stood before Gai in disbelief, "This is how we're going to train?"

"Yep," replied Gai, "this is how we are going to train both your mind and body!"

"How is this going to help at all?" asked Naruto, his voice still in disbelief.

"Trust your sensei on this," said Gai, his tone excited and furious as it always was whenever he had thought of some new training regiment, "I have a most brilliant mind for these sorts of things. Just watch me, and do what I do."

Gai bent his knees and laid down on his stomach, the palms of his hands pressed against eh floor. Naruto shook his head in disbelief, but followed his sensei's action.

Gai pressed the toes of his feet against the floor and pushed with his hands outward, and began doing push-ups. "Follow my lead Naruto," he said, his voice still jovial. Naruto shot his sensei a perplexed look but continued. "Not that way," said Gai, watching Naruto's form, "exactly as I do it, in complete unison."

Naruto sighed heavily, still not understanding the point to this exercise and wondering if he was going to be late for the perverted hermit's lesson. He got back on his belly and began to do push-ups in complete unison with Gai. Gai looked up, smiling at Naruto, which pissed him off immensely. The anger was seething through him again, bringing his blood to a boil and sending a hot sensation that waved over his body.

"Naruto," said Gai again. Naruto looked forward, being brought back into reality to see Gai on his feet. Naruto was taken aback by how fast Gai had moved from position to position. "Do you see the point of this exercise now Naruto?"

Naruto shook his head, listening only half-heartedly. "It's all about concentration and control Naruto," he said. Naruto turned to face Gai, the shining smile of his sensei beaming down at him. Gai quickly got back on his belly, signaling for Naruto to start the push-ups again. Naruto stared at Gai this time, pushing up and down in unison with his highly annoying sensei. Gai was smiling at him again, causing the previous domino effect to start, distracting Naruto.

"Naruto," came Gai's voice again, mocking him slightly. Naruto looked forward to see Gai's orange shinguards. He looked up to see Gai shaking his bowled head and looking down at him, smiling slightly. "You're too easily distracted," he said. He then sat Indian-style in front of Naruto, which Naruto imitated. "You learn fast," said Gai, chuckling slightly, eliciting a scowl from Naruto. "What I'm about to tell you applies to everyone and everything," he continued, "it is very brilliant and extremely good advice." Naruto continued to listen, wondering if Gai was merely messing with his mind.

"You see Naruto," said Gai, "a ninja must maintain a most important coolness inside of him at all times. It is true that your anger can be a most useful tool, but only if you control it, rather than letting it control you." Gai went back to the push-up position, which Naruto followed. He was now listening intently to his sensei's words. Gai began doing push-ups again, but did not stop lecturing Naruto. "Your focus must be maintained in battle; for those who lack concentration, lack a true ability to fight." Gai was switching hands on push ups now, going from left to right quickly with every movement. Naruto did not miss a beat, looking deep into his sensei's dark eyes. "When a ninja's mind uses the emotions he's feeling for a greater purpose, rather than using them without any forethought, they become a powerful ally, giving the ninja added boosts of spirit or adrenaline when necessary. Why do you think people call going into an uncontrollable berserk 'blind rage'?" Naruto's eyes went wide as his sensei had a very good point. He continued, now doing push-ups on his fingertips easily, while Naruto began to struggle to keep up. "I know Sasuke has hurt you deeply," said Gai, his voice turning uncharacteristically solemn, "but you must persevere. Just because he has hurt you does not mean that you can let the anger which sprouts from that wound control your actions. Focus is the key Naruto; with focus, you can do anything," he quickly came to his feet, pushing himself up quickly, which Naruto followed.

Naruto looked at himself in amazement, not even thinking of anything else, only his sensei's actions and words. However, he still felt the rage well within him, attempting to get out. Naruto sighed as thoughts of Sasuke permeated back through his skull.

Gai looked reassuringly at Naruto, "Don't worry," he said, "with some time, I'm sure we can get your anger under control. Trust me Naruto, that kind of blind rage will only hinder you in the long run of things." Naruto looked up at Gai. He was amazed at how fast Gai had gone from terrifyingly angry, to calm, to excited, to solemn, to reassuring; the man seemed to be a kaleidoscope of emotion. Naruto smiled only half-heartedly at him.

'Do I really want to control this,' he thought suddenly, 'this strength that surges through me...' His mind went back to an image Lee, rising from his attacks, a look of determination in his eyes.

"Sorry about Lee Gai-sensei," he said.

Gai merely smiled and waved the comment away, "Lee is tougher than you think Naruto," he said, "He will surpass even the amazing azure beast standing before you by at least three fold in my lifetime."

Naruto smiled again, but a nagging question had been bothering him ever since he joined the team. Thoughts of Lee struggling to achieve strength, training night and day, harder than anyone else, plagued his thoughts. "Gai-sensei," Naruto asked, "do you really think Lee will survive as a ninja?" Gai looked taken aback at the question, almost offended by it, but his expression was quickly replaced by one of his trademark smiles.

"I don't think," he said, his voice fiery, "I know that Lee will go down as one of the greatest ninjas to ever come out of Konoha. Another piece of advice Naruto, never underestimate a man with the spirit of Lee. A man like that, can be unstoppable against even the greatest of forces. A strong spirit that never gives up is always more important than a particular skill or jutsu; you of all people should know this," adding on one of his trademark smiles to put an exclamation point at the end of his speech.

Naruto returned one of his foxish grins back at his sensei. Gai looked at him perplexed, "What," asked Naruto, "something on my face?"

"No," replied Gai, "just your smile...it isn't nearly bright enough. Here," he quickly opened up one of the pockets of his vest and threw a long tube at Naruto. Naruto caught it in his hands; it had a picture of Gai's trademark smile on the cover of it.

"That is Gai-sensei's most remarkable and amazing toothpaste," he said excitedly, "it guarantees a smile that will blind and dazzle your opponents into submission. Lee brushes with it five times a day, giving him that amazing sheen that no other product can deliver." He ended his speech with a whooping crane pose, holding a tube of toothpaste in each hand, while giving a signature, shining smile.

Naruto took this opportunity to turn tail and run out of the area; quickly trying to find the perverted hermit before Gai realized he had gone.

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Gai watched Naruto run out of the building, smiling to himself. "You've still got a lot to learn Naruto," he said aloud, "but still," his tone turned solemn, "you have to learn to control yourself. Too many people have made too many mistakes because of misplaced emotions. And this exam...may be more than meets they eye." His mind turned to the two nins from yesterday, the feeling still haunting him. 'Hiketsu,' he thought, 'is it possible? Either way, we'll face whatever comes.' He then turned to one of the practice beams he had set up and began kicking it hard, waiting patiently for Lee to return.

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Lee sat on the hospital bed, looking longingly out the window, examining the sun. It was midday, and the perfect weather for training. Of course, so was snowing, raining, hailing, or any other weather. Lee watched as the rays of the sun shot into the room, giving it a warm glow that contrasted Lee's sulking attitude. Half of his body suit had been removed, revealing his ripped, muscular physique. A nurse was bandaging his waist, "You sure took a wallop," she said, her voice pleasant, "but you'll be fine. You seem to heal pretty fast; must've been beaten up quite a lot," she added, chuckling slightly. Lee did not respond but stared out the window, watching the sun make its slow trek across the sky. "I'll be back a little later to check on you," she said, giving Lee's shoulders a reassuring rub. She then left Lee alone.

Lee had requested that TenTen not tell Tsunade about his condition. 'The last thing I need now,' he thought, 'would be her telling me that I need to rest.' Evidently TenTen had abided by his wishes, as Tsunade was still not here.

Lee sat on the edge of the bed, observing his own wounds, but the pain was not what was bothering him most. He raised his fist and hit the bed hard, shaking it. 'Dammit,' he thought, 'I lost again. Every person I've fought, Neji, Sasuke, Gaara, Kimmimaro, and now Naruto, have some kind of hidden power within them. I want so badly to be strong, but everyone keeps progressing faster than I. That's the second time Gai-sensei has needed to save me from a battle.' He looked up towards the ceiling, watching a fan's blades slowly turn, showering him with a comforting wind. He squinted slightly as the wind burned his eyes. 'Am I destined to forever be second best,' he thought to himself, 'Is the world so cruel as to attempt to crush my spirit at every turn? Must I always fail?' He looked down towards the hospital floor now. It was well polished, and he could see his own reflection looking back at him. 'It's almost like the world is telling me that my nindo is flawed; that those with power given to them are superior and that hard work will not take you very far." Lee sighed deeply, a feeling of depression washing over him. 'Why have I been dealt such a bad hand? Why-'

"Lee-san," came a voice from behind him, "what are you doing here?"

Lee turned his head to see who was at the door. Sakura stood there, a few flowers in her hand; she looked like she had just come from a hard training session as her hair was quite messed and out of place, and sweat stained her red clothing in many places. Lee smiled weakly at her but said nothing. He returned to staring at the floor. "What are you doing here," he asked weakly.

"Chouji got attacked by a group of weird old men with chickens on their heads," she said, her voice disdained, "Something about Chouji being a demon that would ruin the restaurant business. He fell out a two story window into a fruit cart. He'll be fine, just a few scrapes and bruises, but Asuma wanted to be sure. But that's the least of his worries, Ino's furious at him right now because he's gotten chubby again, but I guess that's just the way he is." She laughed aloud at this, but stopped when Lee did not seem to respond. He continued to sulk, staring down at his own reflection.

"You really do need to calm down on the training," scolded Sakura, "I know you're enthusiastic, but you really could hurt yourself. Case in point," she added, chuckling slightly. Lee did not respond, his mind was elsewhere, still stewing about today's events.

"You're in really good shape Lee," said Sakura, "I don't think I've ever met a genin that looks like you. Of course, I've been with Chouji so long...are you okay Lee?" she finally asked, taking notice of Lee's slight depression.

"Huh," Lee said, slowly coming out of his own trance, "Oh, I'm fine. Just...been an odd day." He turned back to the floor, sighing deeply. He could still feel Sakura in the room.

"I know what you mean," she said, "I've been training pretty hard myself. I really want to show the judges here that I'm worthy of Chuunin rank, and..." She trailed off, but Lee knew what she was about to say.

"You know Lee," she continued, her voice seemingly sad herself, "I really admire you."

Lee perked up at this comment and looked at Sakura, a perplexed expression on his face. "Why?" he asked.

Sakura laughed slightly, confusing Lee even more, "Isn't it obvious," she said, "You work harder than anyone I've ever seen, and that's saying something coming from someone who knows Naruto. Not only that, despite your lack of ability to do jutsus, you're still so strong. And to top it all off, your spirit seems like it's made of solid steel. Even when everything is seems to have beaten you, no matter how many times you fall down, you always get back up to your feet. Plus," she said, her voice perking up slightly, "you never seem to let anything get you down. You're always helpful, strong, and you never give up. I can see why you're on the same team as Naruto; you two are very much alike, and I think he could really use someone like you right now." She smiled slightly at Lee, who felt any depression he had felt washed away as quickly as it had come. He jumped into the air, landing steadily on his feet.

"You're right Sakura," he said loudly, "I am an Azure Beast of the Hidden Leaf; I never let things get me down. No matter what, I will always strive to be stronger. No matter how many times I am knocked down, I will always get back up. Huah!!" adding on a whooping-crane pose complete with ocean background. Sakura stared at him oddly and then erupted in laughter. "What's so funny," asked Lee, a big grin plastered on his face now.

"You," she said, still laughing, "You're so weird. But, I guess that's an admirably quality; better than just being another face in the crowd."

Lee smiled even broader, revealing his very shiny teeth. "Thanks Sakura," he said, "I was feeling a little uncharacteristically depressed, but I'm ready to go out and face the world now. I am Rock Lee, I WILL NOT FAIL!!"

Sakura laughed at Lee again, giving him a playful push to the shoulder. "I'll see you around Lee," she said, still chuckling slightly, "good luck in the Chuunin exams." She then left and went down the hallway, no doubt to where Chouji was roomed.

Lee watched her leave, and then reached down to the makeshift belt he had made with his Leaf forehead protector. He reached behind it, in the space between his jumpsuit and the belt itself and pulled out a small, loosely wrapped bundle in his own bandages. He opened it slowly and delicately, revealing a single leaf that he had caught yesterday. He looked back towards the door from which Sakura left from, grasping the leaf gently before wrapping it again and replacing it on his belt. He then went to the floor, belly first and began doing alternating, one-handed push-ups, a giant smile on his face, his eyes screwed in determination.

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Sakura continued down the hall away from Lee, hearing a familiar grunting coming from his room.  She smiled to herself and continued down the hall.  She sighed to herself, the hospital reminded her of that day, as it seemed to be the only thing in this entire village that was similar to

She pushed the thought from her mind and continued down the hall, passing by room after room, glancing inside.  She stopped for a moment in front of a particular room.  A little girl was standing beside the bed of a rather tall, long haired man.  The long haired man was hooked up to several machines along with a few I.V.s and appeared to be unconcious.  The little girl grasped the man's prone hand as she cried softly against the bed.  Sakura felt immediately compelled to comfort the girl, but thought better of it.  She was about to continue on until she ran into a very beautiful woman dressed in ANBU garb with deep, blue eyes.  "Oh," she said, slightly embarassed, "I didn't mean to intrude; I'm sorry."  She bowed to the woman. 

Sakura heard the woman give a mirthless laugh, "That's okay," she said, "Do you know him?"

Sakura ran back through her mind, "I remember," she said, "he was a tour guide for one of the groups when we first entered in.  I don't know much else about him.  Is he okay?"

The woman did not answer at first.  "I don't know," she said finally, very voice very soft, "he took quite a consecutive beating.  It seems like he's always in this kind of condition anymore."  The woman looked very depressed, even though she was trying to hide the fact.  Sakura felt overwhelmed with sadness; she wasn't sure why, but she pitied this man greatly.  She walked into the room and placed half of her bouquet in an empty vase next to the man.   She felt a hand on her shoulder squeeze gently, "Thank you," came the woman's voice.

"What's his name," asked Sakura. 

"Izou Raan," she replied, the words seeming to pang her.

Something suddenly clicked in Sakura's mind, "Izou," she said, "aren't they relateed to the past Raikages?  I heard they're a very powerful and formidable clan."

The woman walked slowly over to the bed and gingerly sat down on it, looking at the man's closed eyes.  "Well," she said, her voice quite sad, "this one's not strong in the way you're thinking.  Still, he's the strongest person I've ever met."  Her voice seemed to hiccup slightly, and Sakura could see tears slowly streak down her face.  She didn't know why, but she felt the terrible sadness for this man; it was like the woman was transferring her own emotions to Sakura. 

"I'd better go," Sakura said, feeling the tears well up in her eyes.  The woman nodded at her and she slowly walked from the room.  She could still feel the grief and sadness that coated that room; it permeated into her, making her remember that day.  She almost wished she could forget about Sasuke, about that day, but it was too late to forget.

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Kimiko watched the pink-haired girl leave the room and refocused her attention on Raan.  She brushed a few strands of hair out of his face, feeling the warmth still coming from his face.  Her eyes slowly made their way to the girl, who only recently had told them her name, Megumi.  She was drawing something now, drying the tears from her face.  Kimiko smiled at the girl and made her way around to her.  "What are you drawing?" she asked in a very motherly tone. 

"The nice man," she said, looking up at Kimiko with big, emerald eyes.  She watched her draw a crude coloring of Raan, his golden eyes and long, flowing hair marking him.  She looked across the page to see another drawing.  This one was almost completely in red, his face in a scowl, that showed jagged 'v's going across his mouth.  What stood out most though was the eyes; they were red, with criss-crossing black slashes in them. 

"Who's this," asked Kimiko. 

"The bad man," replied Megumi, her voice suddenly becoming very panicky and fearful, "The set man.  He's the one who hurt the nice man, and..." she paused, her eyes welling with tears, "took mommy and daddy away from me."

Kimiko's eyes went wide with shock, staring at the crude drawing of the perpetrater of not only the destruction of the village, but also the one who murdered the hospital workers.  "He called the nice man bad things.  He said he would hurt the nice man, and the nice man's friends.  But the nice man fought him off somehow, and the bad man left."  Megumi was shuddering now, tears streaming down her face. 

'What the hell,' thought Kimiko.  She looked back over to Raan who remained motionless.  'Raan,' she thought, 'what are you into here?'  Her eyes traced back over to the drawing of the bad man.  'Who are you,' she thought to herself, scowling at the crude drawing. 

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Naruto ran briskly towards the outskirts of town, his heart beating fast and excitedly, anticipating the jutsu he would be learning from Jiraiya. Still, Gai's words rang true in his head, as he took studied his sensei's words in his mind. 'Do I really have such an uncontrollable rage,' he thought, 'is what Gai-sensei says true? Will this uncontrolled rage only lead me to ruin?' He slowed down and went into a slight walk. The gigantic wall that surrounded the city blocked the sun out from him, and he walked in the massive shadow it created.

"**What do you think boy, is your rage such a bad thing?"**

"Leave me alone."

"**Admit it, you don't really believe what that bowl-headed idiot said do you? He's only trying to hinder your progress. After all, you beat up his most beloved student; I'm sure that comes as quite a blow to him."**

"I...I didn't mean to go that far."

"**But you did, and with a certain amount of satisfaction, I could feel you allowing your anger to dictate your actions. It felt good to just let go didn't it?"**

"..."

"**Ha, ha, you amuse me. Denying what you really are and what you want to be, it's very humorous. No matter what you do, no matter where you go, you will always be treated as an outsider, an unwanted piece of trash that only represents an obstacle. Why deny this fate, embrace it, and use it. Use it to obtain what you truly desire."**

"...Shut up...that's not who I am."

"**No, unfortunately you have chosen to be a weak, pathetic fool rather than the transcendent creature that you could easily become. After all, I'm only trying to help you, as I know you better than anyone. The happy little façade you place in front of everyone as some stupid, hungry, enthusiastic little boy who only wants to be loved...is truly pitiable. I know what you really want, need, and hunger for. In a way, I am you; the side of you that you refuse to show anyone else. The unsheathed fury that is Uzumaki Naruto."**

Naruto came slowly to the hot springs. The snow around the area was melted considerably, and a light patch of grass grew around the large grounds. Steam was radiating off the entire complex which gave off a warm glow of heat. The building appeared to be in the shape of a large dojo, with single, sliding door in the front of it. There were a few windows from which more steam issued forth, only to rise and slowly fall as it met the cold outside. Naruto looked for signs of Jiraiya but found none. He slowly entered into the building, pulling back the sliding door and closing it as he entered. The warmth inside the building gave him a feeling of comfort and euphoria. He inhaled deeply, the hot steam of the building warming his insides, giving his lungs a very hot feeling, but comfortably so. A light music played over the speakers; a warm soothing tone that sounded very foreign to him. His eyes half-closed as he listened to the enchantingly smooth melody that slowly danced about his senses. The combination of the hot steam, contrasting the cold weather, the music, and the atmosphere itself, sent him into a deep lull; he felt as though he could fall asleep on his feet. Naruto felt his head brush against the thin walls of the place and quickly shook his head violently, brining him back to the task at hand, finding the perverted hermit.

It was divided into several different sections. Three main sections for the first, men, women, and co-ed, which were themselves divided into four separate baths, cold, lukewarm, warm, and hot. Naruto deliberated upon which room he would find the perverted hermit in. 'Well,' thought Naruto, 'he wouldn't be in the men's section, after all, he's not here to take a bath. So if he's only here to peek, he would want to be in the women's section, even if he could get into the co-ed section easier.' He smiled to himself as he made his way to the women's area, slowly opening the door and peeking inside. There were four rooms inside, one from which steam issued forth. Naruto smiled wryly to himself as he stared at the room labeled 'hot'.

Naruto's eyes darted from side to side before he made a fast approach into the room. He was completely blinded by the steam, and could not see anything in front of him. The air actually burned his eyes to the point of tearing them completely. "Hey, perverted hermit," he finally yelled loudly, "where the hell are you." A large splash was then heard, followed by several screams and many slapping noises, along with screams of pain. Naruto watched as the figures of several women exited from the area and back into the hall.

A groan of pain came from the center of the room, which Naruto followed until his eyes refocused on his would be sensei, waist-deep in the pool, his face filled with different hand prints on it. Naruto shot Jiraiya a dirty look, "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he asked.

Jiraiya quickly returned to his feet, a look of fiery rage on his face, "I WAS gathering data for my latest novel, perched precariously above the water, my all-seeing eye showing me the amazing curves and figures of the fabulous women in this city, until some STUPID, LOUD, and UNGRATEFUL little brat broke my concentration and caused me to plummet into the water, scaring all the ladies off."

"SHUT-UP," yelled Naruto back at the perverted hermit, "You were supposed to be training me in some cool, new jutsu. Instead you're here gaining the title of biggest pervert on the continent.

Jiraiya sighed deeply, "I guess I can't avoid you can I?" he asked, eliciting a dark stare from Naruto. "Oh, all right," said Jiraiya finally pulling himself from the water and walking cautiously to the door. His eyes were wide and fearful as Naruto followed him out of the water. "Looks like we're in the clear," he said to Naruto. They walked out of the steamy room and into the open hallway.

About twenty different women were waiting for their arrival, every one of them looking furious. Naruto stared wide-eyed and fearful, while Jiraiya shook badly next to him. Their frightened eyes met quickly. Suddenly, Jiraiya picked up Naruto by his collar and hurled him towards the women, "He's the one you want!" he shouted, "Perverted little kid!" He then proceeded to run as fast as possible in the other direction, leaving Naruto to deal with the women on his own. They were bearing down on him now, closer, and closer...

Naruto screamed as he was flung from the area, head first, landing hard in the snow. "And don't even think about coming back here again, you perverted little brat," came the voice of the largest and most boisterous women amongst the group. Naruto rubbed his face, feeling the bruises, scrapes, slaps, and scratches that now scathed him completely.

"Oh, well I see you made it out okay," said Jiraiya, leaning lazily against a nearby tree.

Naruto jumped to his feet, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!!" he screamed, echoing across the entire city.

"Consider it payment for training," said Jiraiya, "now," he cracked his knuckles and stretched out his back, causing several pops to fill the air, "Let's get started. First off, do you remember this?" He held his hand palm up, and a blue swirl began to collect there, accelerating and growing quickly. The whirring sound it make picked up, until it made a slight hum in the air.

Naruto got to his feet, his face still sending a stinging sensation through the rest of his body. "I already know that jutsu perverted hermit," he said indignantly, "I thought you were going to teach me a different one."

Jiraiya simply raised an eyebrow. "Do you," he asked. Suddenly, the whirring grew louder, and the small ball in his hands began to grow outward, slower and slower, until the chakra began to spin wilder in his hand, moving outwards all around it. It exceeded the length of his palm slowly, while the top of the ball stayed the same. Naruto watched in amazement as the ball gradually turned into an elongated, blue disk that sat unwieldy on Jiraiya's hand. Naruto watched as the perverted hermit screwed his face in concentration, a small bead of sweat rolling down his face. The disk was whirring very loudly now, and Jiraiya seemed to be having some difficulty keeping it stable. Naruto watched on in awe, as Jiraiay suddenly spun on his heel, holding the disc away from his body. His hair jerked around his body in a tight arc, clinging to himself. The long, spiky ponytail whipped around him quickly. He spun faster and faster until he let out what sounded like a war cry. He was now a blur of white, grey, red, and all other colors on his body, the disk making an even louder whirring sound than before. Naruto's eyes grew wide as the air itself began to spin around Jiraiya, forming a giant vacuum all around him that sucked in any nearby debris. Light snow was picked up off the ground and spun around Jiraiya as well, as if pulled up by some unseen force. Branches from nearby trees were now swaying towards Jiraiya's spin, as any leaves were plucked from their branches and headed quickly to the perverted hermit as well.

Now, Jiraiya was nothing more than a tornado of encircling snow, leaves, and debris; the sound of the rasengan was foreign to Naruto now, as the whirring was loud enough to vibrate the ground he stood on. Suddenly, Jiraiya placed one, sandaled foot out and drug it along the snowy ground, leaving a deep trail in the snow as the even the dirt underneath it began to trail under him. 'Amazing,' thought Naruto, watching his would-be sensei in a trance, as if Jiraiya was performing a type of dance that caused everything around him to dance in unison. "NOW," Naruto heard Jiraiya yell. The blue disk flew outwards from the cyclone, a long trail of chakra behind it. Jiraiya had stopped now, all of the leaves, snow, and debris were now encircling the flying rasengan as it cut through the air, making a loud whistling as it went. Naruto watched on in utter amazement as Jiraiya furrowed his brow, his eyes fixed in an almost permanent fury. He gritted his teeth, watching the spinning disk move amazingly quick away from him. The trail of chakra behind the disk was getting longer now, as the disk flew faster and faster, picking up speed as it went. It suddenly hit a nearby tree, but moved straight through it without even stopping; in fact it seemed to move faster. The tree fell in an instant, landing with a loud crash on the ground that shook the earth in a huge rumble. Naruto watched the disk arc through the air, as Jiraiya violently pulled his arm back, turning the disk to the left and sending it into even more trees, slicing through each with nary a sound except for the loud vibrating noise the disk itself made. Naruto smiled at the perverted hermit, astounded at the power such a jutsu encompassed, but Jiraiya kept his eyes on the disk. Suddenly, he pulled his arm back completely, shortening the chakra string connected to the disk. The disk turned completely askew, now traveling more akin to a wheel than a disk. It headed straight for Jiraiya, picking up yet more speed as it went. The ground began to shake violently as the disk came closer to them both. Naruto's eyes went wide as fear pumped through him, sending panicking electricity through his body, telling him to run. But the awe of the jutsu was far too much to bear.

The disk was now only meters from them both. "Hey, perverted hermit," he said, attempting to get Jiraiya's attention, but he did not move, only stared at the disk, raising his other arm outward in a crook, as if to catch the disk in between his two hands. All of a sudden, he grabbed the disk on either side with both of his hands. His entire body shook at the impact, and the momentum of the catch drove him back several feet, but he stood his ground. The spinning disk was pulling everything towards it; Naruto watched as the perverts cloths and hair whipped out violently towards the disk. "KAI," Jiraiya shouted at the disk. It slowly began to dissipate into nothing as the pervert's hands grew closer and closer, destroying the giant disk between them. Finally, silence again reigned in the forest. Jiraiya was breathing heavily, seemingly exhausted. Naruto was silent, his eyes wide, his mouth drooping open slightly. "What the hell was that," he asked, his voice soft with wonder.

Jiraiya composed himself and turned around to face Naruto. Sweat glistened off his head, matting down his usually spiky hair. "That," he said, "was the true power of the rasengan. What I have just showed you is exactly why this jutsu not only took the Fourth Hokage 3 years to complete, but also why this jutsu is considered one of the most powerful and dangerous in Konoha. However, don't take this jutsu lightly. Compared to the stage you're at now, you will not get this completed before the Chuunin exam starts. I'd be surprised if you got this one done in about four years. It takes more control and stamina than most ninjas have."

Naruto laughed, "I did the first three steps in quickly," he said, chuckling slightly, "I bet I can do this one in a couple days." His laughter turned nervous though, as he couldn't even believe his own words.

"Were we watching the same jutsu," asked Jiraiya mockingly, "From making the rasengan, it takes another three steps to get to the point where I was. First, you have to add a considerable amount of power to it, then control that power in a certain way so that the disk is formed with more power around the sides than the center. And after that, you still have to get down the spinning of your own body in unison with the whirling of the rasengan. Then, you have to have enough control to keep the chakra connected to the disk as it spins, continually adding power to it. But nothing even compares to the power to stop the damn thing. That disk will eat away at your chakra constantly, never ceasing until you are empty.

"You have to respect this jutsu Naruto," continued Jiraiya, his tone solemn now, "it's not something that can be used lightly or in every situation. It is slow to prepare, and the spinning of your body will only offer a slight protection against attacks. It leaves you very open, and very drained." He approached Naruto, kneeling down so that he was eye to eye with him. "The Fourth used this jutsu to wound the Kyuubi enough to pull its soul out. He could not grasp the Kyuubi by himself, and the villagers of Konoha bought him the time to do not only the rasengan, but the jutsu with which to seal the demon inside you," he said, poking Naruto in the belly.

Naruto blinked in silent awe. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. The rasengan he had learned was nothing compared to the one he had seen. He looked up at Jiraiya, determination in his eyes, "I'll learn this jutsu," he said, "and I will protect my precious people with its power."

Jiraiya said nothing for a moment, but the seriousness did not wave from his face. "I heard about that little brawl you had in the city," he said, "Were you trying to protect anyone there? Or were you trying to rip your opponent to pieces? If you're going to learn a jutsu of this level, you're going to have to grow up quite a bit. No more allowing your emotions to control you. I'm sure this isn't the first time you've heard this eh?"

Naruto's mind went back to what Gai-sensei had said, but also what the Kyuubi had said earlier. He didn't know what to think anymore, but he did want to learn this jutsu. The anger still welled inside his heart; he could feel it constantly now. "I'll control myself," he said to Jiraiya.

Jiraiya eyed him oddly, "Alright," he said, his eyes showing that he was still unconvinced, "Let's begin then..."

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"Again," yelled Gai as Lee drove his leg deeper into the steel beam. He luckily was released from the hospital quickly as they decided anyone who could do two thousand, one-handed push-ups was alright to let go. He had gone back to Gai's area immediately, not wanting to waste any time lying in a sick bed. He was now pounding on the steel beam, the sting of his recent defeat still haunting him and driving him forward.

Lee breathed hard, and shouted with each successive hit, the pain of the experience only spurring him onward. The sound of his voice echoed in the cavernous building; everything in it reminding him of his painful defeat to Naruto only a short time ago. 'Never again,' thought Lee, driving his leg even harder into the steel. His leg was bleeding now, staining his normally green jumpsuit a dull red in long lines across his leg, but he did not stop. Every hit drove his spirit higher, 'With every kick,' he thought, 'every punch, every push, I grow a little stronger. I will not lose these Chuunin exams; I will prove myself with Gai-sensei smiling on behind me. I will prove to everyone that I am strong, powerful, controlled, fierce, intelligent, everything needed to show that I am a great ninja.' Lee shouted loud enough to make his voice crack as he drove a whirlwind kick into the beam, splitting it in half with a loud clang that reverberated across the floor. Lee watched with satisfaction as the beam half sailed through the air to land with a metallic thud on the floor meters from him.

"Excellent work Lee," said Gai, "you grow stronger and more impressive with each passing second. Soon your brilliance will dazzle the judges of the Chuunin examination so well, they will be blinded by the luminous intensity and amazing work you do. I know it!" adding on his usual good-guy pose.

Lee rubbed his leg, trying to dull the pain he felt in it. "Thank you Gai-sensei," he winced, "but it appears I lost today."

Gai merely shrugged his shoulders, "A trivial thing," he reassured Lee, "Naruto was indeed the better man today; he is quite strong, and an accomplished student of the Azure Beast as well. But don't despair, with a spirit such as yours I'm sure you will prevail. I have never met someone like you Lee; you are a one of a kind, amazing Azure Beast yourself."

Lee smiled at his sensei, standing painfully on his feet. "I," he hesitated, but continued on, "I want to beat a genius. Someone that has such an exceptional power that even the strongest ninjas cannot defeat them. Someone that is truly a force to be reckoned with. I want to fight that person, and show them that hard work truly surpasses the genius skills; that will prove my way of the ninja!" He looked up at his sensei for approval; Gai smiled broadly at him.

"Well, this is the perfect opportunity to do that," he told Lee, "there are many skilled ninjas here, Naruto amongst them. But don't forget Lee, you're also in that league, and I'm sure that people will be targeting a skilled ninja such as yourself."

Lee stood straight up and saluted his sensei, "I welcome such a challenge." He then looked away from Gai, seemingly hesitant.

"Hm," said Gai, craning his neck closer to Lee, "you have something else to ask your most excellent teacher?"

Lee nodded slightly, an almost embarrassed look on his face. "Have you," he said slowly, "ever beaten Kakashi sensei in a fight?"

Gai laughed aloud at this, surprising Lee. "We are eternal rivals he and I," he chimed, "We have fought more than a hundred times in different events ranging from simple footraces to complex taijutsu exposes. And in that time, I have defeated the genius ninja Kakashi many times in one on one combat. Even if Kakashi knows a thousand jutsus, even if he possesses the Sharingan, no single strategy is invincible. That is the whole point of this exam; you have to learn to use this," poking Lee in the head, "before you can learn to use this," he flexed his arm, the muscles rippling underneath, and patted it gently. "That is what makes us so amazing Lee; we don't have the many advantages others have, so when we succeed, it truly raises our spirits and shows everyone what a true ninja is made of."

Lee smiled brightly at his sensei, "You really are amazing Gai-sensei," he said.

"Not as much as my students," he replied, giving Lee a pat on the shoulder. "Well, unfortunately I have some most important business to take care of, and I leave you for now. Do not despair though, we shall get up bright and early in the morning to train yet again."

Lee looked disappointedly at Gai, but quickly changed his face to a smile and watched his sensei walk off.

Lee sighed to himself, slightly saddened that the training had to end. "Well," he thought, "I'd better find a place to refresh myself. Even I need some recuperating sometimes.' He walked out the building into the dusky sky. The welcoming rays of the sun had long gone now, to be replaced by a blackened sky, peppered with clouds and stars alike. The stars were a very welcome sight to Lee, as he gazed up at their white brilliance in amazement. He grinned wryly, and then went into a brisk jog that escalated into an all out sprint into the populous areas of the city. Several screams and profanities were heard as the green and orange blur that was Rock Lee, maneuvered around pedestrians and other obstacles, succeeding in knocking down a few shoppers from the sheer speed of his sprint. There was a long trail of debris following him now, and Lee could feel his legs burning once again, eliciting a satisfied smile from their owner.

"What the hell," came a familiar voice that trailed off from behind him. Lee skidded to a halt, driving a pile of snow, grass, and dirt in front of him. He quickly turned around to see two of his genin comrades.

"Salutations Aburame Shino and Inuzuka Kiba," yelled Rock Lee boisterously, "Are you both out training to become most powerful nins as well?"

Kiba and Shino walked slowly up to rock Lee, admiring Lee's long path in the snow. Kiba's dog Akamaru lay lazily on his head, while Shino remained stoic as usual. "We just got done," said Kiba, "we're looking for someplace to eat; I still haven't taken advantage of that infinite tab thing we got." He smiled evilly while Akamaru barked loudly on his head.

"Ah," exclaimed Lee, "I am also looking for a spot with which to refresh myself. Perhaps," he rushed in between the two of them, placing one arm across each's shoulder, "we should search together. After all, Gai-sensei always says that meals are so much more enjoyable if eaten with comrades in arms," smiling widely at the two of them.

Kiba looked utterly confused, "Um, I guess," he said, Akamaru giving a low whine to Kiba's statement. Shino still said nothing, but raised a single eyebrow to Lee.

They walked on together for another hour until they came to a dank and dark part of town that smelled heavily. Trash was piled to the sides, and elongated building with large flashing, neon lights towered in the sky promising a good time. Bums and hobos, holding their liquor tightly, muttered incoherent phrases or snored loudly in the dark corners of alleys. "Hey, this place looks good," shouted Lee, pointing to a long, wooden building resembling an old saloon. The place looked ancient as the wood appeared rotted, and brown all around it. A sign, long worn, seemed to say, "Hard & Heavy," the name of the place no doubt. Several drunks stumbled around the area, shouting at inanimate objects and puking into refuse bins.

"Lee," said Shino finally, "that's a bar."

"To the bar then," said Lee, "they no doubt serve some type of refreshing food. After all, with as many people throwing up here, it must be some place where the training elite come after a grueling work out." He began racing towards the building, motioning for Kiba and Shino to follow.

"Wait a second Lee," yelled Kiba, but Lee had already entered into the building. Kiba sighed heavily, "should we follow him?" he asked Shino.

"Probably," he said stoically, "he's a little too enthusiastic for his own good." They followed Lee's lead and entered into the shabby, brown building.

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Four sound nins watched form a distance as they saw three leafs enter into the saloon. "Hm," said the first, his voice deep and excited, "this looks like it could be fun."

"No way," said the second, her voice higher, but seemingly strong, "Orochimaru would get pissed if he found out we started a fight."

"That's only if we let them survive," said the first.

"I agree," came a robotically stoic voice from behind them, "it could be 'fun'."

"Well then," came a fourth, very fast and ratty voice from in front of them, "what are we waiting for."

"I don't know," said the second again, "I don't want to I really don't want to displease Orochimaru-sama."

"Then stay here," said the fourth, his voice annoyed, "We'll take care of them. We won't leave a scrap."

"Orochimaru might even get a kick out of it," chuckled the first.

"What are we waiting for then," came the third's voice again, "Let's go."

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Lee stared in amazement at the dilapidated surroundings around him. Round tables were abundant in the area, with chairs scattered all across the floor. Many of the tables and chairs had legs broken off and thrown in several directions, some covered in dry blood. A bald man with several tattoos and earrings stood behind the bar, a variety of different bottles behind him. He spat into a glass and proceeded to wipe it with a dingy rag. Several gruff looking men, each with an astoundingly large belly, were playing a game of cards on a round table in the corner. A few others seemed passed out round tables to the other side of the room, drooling heavily on the tables, while others preferred the floor. Lee looked behind him as Kiba and Shino entered in through the dusty double doors. Lee took in a deep breath through his nostrils; "Smell that atmosphere," he exclaimed.

"Smells like something alright," coughed Kiba, waving a hand in front his nose while Akamaru barked in agreement. "I don't think we should be here Lee, let's try somewhere else."

"Aye," came a gruff voice from in front of them. The bartender squinted at them through his pig-like face, "Ya kids orderin' or what? Don't just stand in front of the door like ijits, take a damn seat." The bartender snorted heavily and then spit mucus into another glass, cleaning it with the same dingy rag.

Lee rushed up to the bartender, "Do you have anything that will revitalize and refresh a most exhausted and tired youth," he asked cheerfully.

"Kid," he replied, placing his hands on the dirty bar top, "I got booze, booze, and more booze, what's ya pick."

'What's booze,' thought Lee.

"Hey, Mr. umm, Guy," piped Kiba from behind them, "Do you have anything to eat around here."

"You'll have to ask that bitch that works here," growled the bartender, "She's probably passed out somewhere. If ya find her, poke her awake with somethin' and tell her she's wastin' my money. So what'll ya have then?"

Kiba and Shino left to procure a table while Lee observed the selection of drink behind the bartender. "Hmm, what's the strongest drink you have here? One that will no doubt give me the energy necessary to not only get an early start tomorrow, but also train for a few hours more tonight?"

"Hey kid," came a slurred voice from Lee's right. The man next to him"What you want is dis' stuff rite 'ere." He slammed a bottle down on the counter with a very voluptuous on the side of it.

Lee examined the bottle curiously, "What is it," he asked.

"I tell you whut it be," said the filthy man, "Liquid Courage!!" he then proceeded to lose his balance and hit the floor with a crash.

Lee's eyes went wide, 'Liquid Courage,' he thought, 'that must be a most revitalizing and amazing drink indeed.' "One Liquid Courage," yelled Lee excitedly. The bartender rolled his eyes and slammed a bottle down on the counter similar to the one the man now sleeping on the floor had. Lee grasped the bottle, ripped off the top and downed it in one single sitting. It burned heavily as it went down his throat and churned madly in his stomach. He slammed the bottle back on the bar, breathing deeply, the bartender with an astounded expression on his face, revealing several broken and yellow teeth.

'Well,' thought Lee, 'it wasn't the best drink I've ever tasted, but I'm sure...it...will...d...o...huh!?'

His started to become blurred and fuzzy; his mind was doing back flips in his head. Lee wasn't even sure if he was awake or asleep now. His speech became slurred, and he had a very familiar sensation wash through his body...

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Kiba and Shino sat down at one of the nearby tables, on the same side as the large, burly men playing cards. "What the hell are we doing here anyway?" he said, Akamaru barking his agreement, "I don't think we're going to be getting any food here, and I'm not touching this place's alcohol. My mom and sister would kill me."

"Well," said Shino, his voice still monotone, "chalk it up as a learning experience. Let's just get Lee and go." They stood up and approached Lee, who was now swaying wildly. Suddenly, the double doors burst open, revealing three nins with the ensignia of the sound on them.

"Well look what we've found here," said the one in front, "A couple of Leaf rats out for a night on the town." His voice was deep and scathing. He wore a tight t-shirt that clung to his body, wrapped in bandages forming an 'X' across his chest. His forehead protector was wrapped around the top of his head, holding a slicked, pompadour black hair style in place. He wore dark, brown shorts that went down to his knees; the rest of his legs were covered with long bandages that wormed their way around his legs, stopping at his black, shinobi sandals. On his forearms, he wore two, odd, multi-holed contraptions that seemed furrowed, almost like graters of some sort. The one to his right, dwarfed the other two, wearing a long cloak that covered most of his skinny body. His arms and legs seemed bony, and were wrapped in bandages just like the first one. On his long neck, there was a metallic instrument that circled it completely, with several slits in the front of it. He was completely bald and had his forehead protector over his mouth. The last one to the left of the group looked very deranged, as he was smiling broadly and rubbing his bony hands excitedly. His back was hunched so that he looked considerably shorter than the other two. His body was wrapped in a filthy rag, that hugged his rat-like body. Long, red hair dangled from his thin head almost to the floor, arranged in an odd type of braiding that appeared only on the left side of his head. His eyes were two different colors, one completely red, that he squinted, and the other wide open and completely blue.

"Sound nins," growled Kiba, "what the hell do you want."

"Oh nothing really," said the rat-like one very quickly, "Just your blood, your bones, your organs, all wrapped nicely in a little package that I can send to your family on your birthday." He cackled madly, his voice going very high-pitched.

"We shouldn't engage each other until the exams," said Shino, his voice emotionless as it always was, "after all, you have amnesty from the Raikage; we wouldn't want to cause any trepidation between us."

"Coward," came a robotic voice to their left. The tallest one was speaking now; the words coming from the slotted machine on his neck, "all you Leaf are. Just a dieing village that will be destroyed when the time is right."

"Who the hell do you think you are," growled Kiba, Akamaru joining in with him.

"Well boys," said the one in the center, "we forgot to introduce ourselves. Allow me to present, three of the five of Orochimaru's honor guard. Here we have Garuda," pointing to the largest one, "Shiaki," motioning to the hunched, rat-like one, "and myself, Zeumon. Along with the one outside and Uchiha Sasuke, we are Orochimaru's elite, complete with his trademark cursed seals. And now, I think it's time to burn some of the Leaf rats that we have trapped in this hole."

"Kill them, kill them, kill them dead, dead, dead, dead!" cackled Shiaki.

"You're going to have one hell of a time doing that," laughed Kiba, hunching himself, preparing for battle. Akamaru's fur stood on end as he growled at the nins before them.

"3 vs. 2," said Zeumon, "I don't think we will. This should be finished up in a few seconds."

Kiba looked over at Shino; he appeared to be standing stock still, but Kiba could smell the chakra bugs begin to pour out of him underneath his clothing. "You must be stupider than you look," he chuckled at Zeumon, "there are three of us dumbass." He then looked back expecting Lee to be ready to fight, but his face soon drooped to shock at the sight of Lee.

Lee was stumbling badly, his cheeks were very red, and he was hiccupping. "Well whut've we got 'ere," said Lee, his speech badly slurred, "I see big phreak, medium phreak, and small phreak. So the question is, which one of you phreaks wantza piece of an Azure Beast! Hey, that kind of rhymes."

Kiba could only stare in disbelief, 'Dammit Lee,' he thought, 'now of all times you decide to start drinking.'

Zeumon went into peals of laughter. "This guy's drunk off his ass," he chuckled, "Shiaki, deal with the drunkard."

"With pleasure," replied Shiaki, he stared at Lee, his open eye twitching badly. "I think it's time for you to die boy," he cackled.

Lee charged forward until he was only inches from Shiaki's face. "Oh yeah," he slurred, "well I think you're too ugly to be my mother," and delivered a monstrous straight punch to Shiaki's face, driving him through the back wall with a thunderous crash that made everyone besides the nins take cover.

Zeumon looked on in shock as Lee stumbled backwards to the bar and leaned against it. "Well what're ya waitin' for ladies," he taunted, "com'on."

Zuemon charged forward to Lee, but was intercepted by Kiba. "Beast Human Bunshin," he yelled, as Akamaru transformed into another Kiba that charged at Zuemon, driving them both to the ground, breaking tables and chairs as Kiba dived forward as well, joining in the fray.

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Shiaki appeared again, rubbing his now broken nose.

"You're going to pay for that you green bastard," he screeched and charged at Lee, running across the tops of tables and chairs to get to a still intoxicated Lee. Suddenly, Shiaki's head detached from his body, showing an extremely long neck. Lee observed the event nonchalantly, as Shiaki revealed a long row of fangs, ready to dive into Lee. Suddenly, Lee snapped his head forward, bringing his body completely parallel to the ground, spinning through the air to deliver a strong kick to Shiaki's extended head, knocking it back to its owner. Lee continued to roll forward, charging wobbly towards Shiaki.

"Now you're dead trash," yelled Shiaki, detaching his other limbs that stretched towards Lee, attempting to claw, slash, and kick a still very drunk Lee.

Lee felt very detached with the world, seeing a few amorphous shapes come towards him and dodging each easily, bending and contorting his body so that he flowed around them. He grabbed a heavily extended arm and tugged on it with all the force his body could muster, dragging Shiaki's main body with it. "Kwohano Senpwuu," yelled Lee, delivering a hard spinning knee right between Shiaki's legs. Lee could have sworn he had never heard a man's voice go that high, but the impact of the hit sent Shiaki's body and limbs across the tabled zone to land in a pile of the, shattering them to splinters.

"Well, that'll teach you not to do...that thing...you do," hiccupped Lee, still wobbling badly.

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Shino watched as Kiba attempted to hold down a struggling Zeumon, but his attention turned back to the remaining Sound Nin. Shino looked at him nonchalantly as he charged forward, his long cloak billowing in the air. His fist was mere inches from Shino when thousands of bugs sprung out from under the floorboards, blocking the attack and attaching themselves to the tall nin. The taller nin thrashed on the ground, attempting to remove the bugs from him while Shino watched on. He heard a shrill cry to the right of him to see a multi-appendaged nin fly into a collection of tables, destroying them, while Lee stumbled around the bar.

'Does he fight better drunk?' wondered Shino.

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Zeumon kicked Akamaru off his body and returned to an attacking stance. Kiba and Akamaru circled around him, jumping from table to table as the approached.

"Dammit," he heard Zuemon yell, "we can't reveal ourselves here. Let's get the hell out of here." He nimbly dodged an attack by Kiba and returned to the entrance. Garuda was removing the last of the bugs from his body as he joined Zuemon at the exit. Shiaki's limbs were returning to normal as he was gingerly holding his crotch, groaning in a high pitched voice as he hobbled towards the exit. Suddenly, Lee dived forward, grabbing Shiaki's leg.

"Where ya goin' kiddo," he said, his speech still very broken and slurred, "I haven't showed yu the Most Amazing Azoore Beest Toss, here we go," he began to spin quickly, still holding onto Shiaki's leg, who was now screaming in a shrill voice as Lee flung him into the liquor at the back of the bar, the bottles creating a cacophony of broken glass that landed on Shiaki.

"Back off Lee," said Kiba, "I think we've done enough for now."

"Whatever you say Captin Dogathus," he spewed out before wobbling off his feet, clutching the bar for support.

Shiaki crawled over the bar, still holding his groin as he hopped towards his comrades. "The Raikage will hear of this," shouted Zuemon, "and by the end of this exam, you bastards are dead. Especially the drunk asshole." They then rushed out through the door and back out into the night.

Kiba breathed a sigh of relief as they left, Akamaru turning back to his normal dog form in a puff of smoke. He barked happily as he returned to his spot on Kiba's head. The bugs from earlier were returning to their home under Shino's skin, who didn't even seem to move from his original spot during the fray.

Lee was no worse for wear, although every person in the bar was now staring at him like some drunken demon. Kiba shook his head, "We'd better get out of here," he said looking around at the bar. The dilapidated place was not even recognizable anymore. What had been tables and chairs nearly ten minutes ago were now piles of splinters, along with floorboards, and the bar itself, which had a large chunk taken out of it. Liquor poured along the ground like a river, and now each of them were stepping in it slightly. He stared at the bartender, who was finally coming up from his hiding spot under the bar, his eyes wide with fear. "Umm," said Kiba nervously, "put it on our tab?"

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"Leaf bastards," said Zeumon, running angrily through the snow, "If only we could go all out, but Orochimaru said to save that for the exam. Dammit, we could have torn them to ribbons, I'm sure of it." Garuda and Shiaki followed behind him, back to the alley where Ninia was waiting. "You could have back us up," he said, "there were like, fifty of them." No answer came. "Ninia," said Zeumon again, "get off your lazy ass and help Shiaki back; he's the worst injured out of all of us." Again, no answer. "Ninia," said Zeumon, his voice concerned slightly this time. He searched in the darkness, the night sky covering the entire alley. He pawed blindly on the ground and walls. Finally, he found Ninia, "There you are," he said, "why didn't you answer." She still said nothing. 'What the hell,' Zeumon thought.

He slowly drug her body into the light but quickly let go of her as the grotesque sight came into view. She was completely mutilated, her mouth open, warm blood dribbling from her the corners. Her blank eyes stared up at the sky blindly. Her torso was completely separated from lower half, and a huge puncture wound that went straight through her chest covered a large portion of her body. Blood streamed forth from her like a river, slowly cascading down into the snow, melting it and turning it red.

Garuda and Shiaki were in similar shock; their recent defeat seeming meaningless. "What the hell happened to her," said Garuda through his voice box, "she looks like she didn't even have to activate her seal."

Zeumon surveyed the ground, finding a piece of metal covered in the snow that reflected the moon light off of it. He pulled it out to find a forehead protector with a Leaf insignia on it. Fury ran through him as he grasped the metal plate hard. "Leaf bastards," he said through clenched teeth, "they'll pay for this." He turned to Garuda and Shiaki, "Inform Orochimaru of this; he'll want to know what the Leaf did here." Garuda and Shiaki slowly backed away and ran in the direction of their lodgings. "They'll pay for this," said Zeumon, "I'll make sure of it."

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Julius slowly made his way across the rooftops, his boots clanking and crunching in the snow. He looked behind him, making sure that his trail could not be followed and continued on. He reached for the white cloth around his waste and pulled out a small, grey box that fit in the palm of his hand. He depressed a single button on it, "Mission accomplished," he said. He wiped the blood from his other hand onto his white garb, only for it to slowly fall to the snow below, splotching it in places.

"Excellent," came the Raikage's voice, scratchy through the transmission, "did you leave the 'evidence?'

"Yes," Julius responded, "my trail was covered, no one will follow it this far."

"Good work," replied the Raikage, "let's hope this causes the desired ruckus I need. I may have to inform the other Kage's of the Leaf's 'underhanded tactics.'"

Julius turned off the receiver and replaced it on his belt. Black, billowing clouds had surfaced across the night sky again, blocking out any light they once had. Julius looked up at the sky. "To my ally," he said to himself, raising his still bloody hand to the sky. He walked off into the darkness, the crunching of snow under his boots fading as he made his way into the shadows.

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A/N: Long chapter this time. Hope it was good. Sorry it took so long getting out, but I just kept adding to it, and well, this happened. Well, hope you enjoyed it.


	21. Part 37: Calm Before the Storm

Part 3.7: Calm Before the Storm

Sakura stared idly up at the ceiling above her. She was lying on her bed, still dressed in her training garb from the day earlier. The window beside her shined the last bits of moonlight through the window before it was enveloped by billowing storm clouds that blackened the city back into the great shadow it was accustomed to. The only light that permeated her room came from under the door into the hallway. She couldn't sleep, far too much was on her mind, of the exams, her training, and...Sasuke.

She turned over on her side, away from the window. Ino was sleeping in the bed next to hers, seemingly resting peacefully, her usually tight, pony tailed hair draped down the back of her head. Chouji was snoring loudly in the bed in the room behind them. Sakura laughed, reminiscing how furious Ino had gotten at Chouji's considerable increase in size. She sighed deeply, her mind turning back to Sasuke. It seemed like that was all she thought about anymore; she longed to see him again. But...Sasuke was not a Leaf anymore; he was a sworn enemy. Sasuke had said that himself, 'but I can't just give up on him,' she thought. 'I do love him, and I can't let any obstacle get in the way of my goal, just like Lee said.'

'Lee,' she thought. She had been thinking about the bowlheaded genin quite a bit lately, ever since their conversation on the roofs only yesterday. She reminisced back to only earlier in the day when she had visited him in the hospital. 'He seemed so down,' she thought, a feeling of concern panging her chest. 'I wonder what could have brought him down so much, but he seems alright now, at least I hope he is.' She smiled, thinking about what a good friend Lee had been. But the feeling she held for Lee was odd somehow; it didn't feel like the feelings she had for Naruto, which were strictly platonic. As much as Naruto may have had a crush on her, she never felt anything but a close friendship with him at most. Lee was different somehow though; she still felt the feelings of friendship when she was around him; but she always felt very energized and invigorated whenever he was around. It was almost like he emitted some kind of energy that refreshed everyone around him. 'I guess it's just his attitude,' she thought, 'he's very cheery, and the determination he has is amazing.' The animated feeling she had was brought back to the surface again, but she repressed it back down, desperate to get to sleep.

'Very busy day tomorrow,' she thought, 'first, there's that 'good luck' speech planned by the Lord of Thunder, and then after that, the exams. So much swirling around us, I wonder what will happ-'

A loud crash from a floor below her brought her back to reality. She sat up on her bed, her teal eyes wide open. She looked to Ino; she was still sleeping soundly, and a loud snore from the room behind her implied that Chouji was in the same condition. She brought herself to her feet and slowly approached the door. She slowly turned the handle, attempting to muffle the squeak the door made as she opened it. She stepped out into the hallway and quietly closed the door behind her, listening still to the noise happening near the entrance. Another loud crash followed by a slurred, "Shorry dere."

'Is that Lee,' she thought. She walked quickly to the stairs, traveling down them a few steps at a time.

"Help him up," came another familiar voice she recognized as Kiba.

"I'm perfectly fine Mr. Dog man," came Lee's broken speech again.

Sakura rushed towards the entrance of the hotel to find both Shino and Kiba helping a very wobbly Lee to his feet. Lee was hiccupping very loudly; his cheeks were flushed very red, and his eyes were in an almost trance-like state, going from half-closed, to completely close, to wide open in a matter of seconds. Kiba and Shino seemed too preoccupied with helping Lee forward to notice Sakura coming down the main staircase.

"Is he alright," asked Sakura, a very perplexed expression on her face. Kiba and Shino both looked up in surprise, but quickly returned their efforts to help Lee move through the entrance hall.

"Well," whispered Kiba, "he's kind of...um..."

"Drunk," interrupted Shino.

"Drunk," exclaimed Sakura, only to be shushed by Kiba.

"Not so loud eh," he said softly, "I really don't think it's a good idea for anyone to see Lee like this; he could get into some major trouble."

"Agreed," said Shino in his usual monotone voice, "We're not sure where Hokage-sama is staying either. If she sees Lee in this state she might expel him from the exams."

Sakura's expression quickly changed to concern as she thought quickly for a way to get Lee to his room. "Where's Lee staying anyway," she asked.

"Oh, somewhere over in thar direction," replied Lee, waving his arm wildly in random places.

Kiba shot Sakura an indignant look, "I don't think you're getting much out of him," he said.

Sakura scratched her head, now desperate for some place to store Lee until he got out of this state. "Come on," she went up the stairs and motioned for Kiba and Shino to follow. It was quite a trial getting Lee up a flight of stairs as he had enough trouble walking on even ground, but they finally managed to get him up the first floor.

"Ah man," said Lee, "you guys...you guys are real pals," he placed an arm around the neck of both Kiba and Shino and pulled the both closely, crushing Akamaru under Kiba's shirt. "We really should be doin' this kind of thang more often...HEY, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKIN' AT!" Lee had turned his attention to a large statue of Izou Dao. "I don't like your tone," he yelled at the inanimate structure. He then reared back a gigantic kick and rammed his leg right into the statue's side. A gigantic crack was heard throughout the hall as the statue fell to pieces on the ground, shattering further.

"Dammit Lee," shouted Kiba, forgetting his own voice, Akamaru barking to match his master's volume.

"He shouldn't have mouthed off," slurred Lee, attempting to justify his actions. Suddenly, their attention all turned to a door at the end of the hall, from which a very tired looking Hokage was emerging. Kiba's eyes went wide as he desperately eyed the area for somewhere to stash Lee, his eyes resting upon Sakura.

"You have a room on this floor," he whispered quickly. Sakura nodded; "Then take him until we get this sorted out." Sakura was taken aback by Kiba's order.

"What the hell's going on," came Tsunade's voice from the end of the hall. She was draped in a thick robe, and still had her eyes mostly closed as she desperately rubbed the sleep out of them.

"Just go," he said, pushing Lee into Sakura's arms. Lee was close to being unconscious now, his eyelids half-closed with only a soft groan escaping his lips. Sakura struggled a bit to pick up the now dead-weight of Lee, but managed to drag him backwards into her room while Kiba and Shino rushed to block him from Tsunade's view.

Sakura rushed blindly back to her room, still tripping backwards over the weight of a prone Lee. She clattered through the door, Lee landing awkwardly on top of her. She struggled under him and eventually pulled herself off, scrambling to close the door, awaiting for Kiba to tell her when it was safe. Lee was completely asleep now, drooling slightly on the room's carpeted floor.

'I can honestly say I never pictured you as a drunk Lee,' she thought, shaking her head slightly. She slowly began to walk to her bed, but paused for a moment. It didn't seem like Kiba was returning, as their voices slowly died away, not to be heard again. Sakura sighed and pulled off a sheet from her bed, careful not awake her still sleeping comrades. She took the sheet and draped it over Lee, turning his head so that he was no longer drooling. She then took a pillow and placed it under his head, staring slightly at a very unconscious Lee, chuckling to herself at the situation. She tiptoed to her bed again when Lee began to speak slightly.

"I..." he began, talking in his sleep, "I will become a stronger man...a stronger man...the next time..."

Sakura smiled slightly at Lee, feeling the same energized feeling from before, as she slowly made her way to bed.

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The sky became ridiculously dark overhead, blocking any light from view as Naruto still concentrated on Jiraiya's new rasengan. He breathed heavily, exhausted from many failed attempts. He was not sure where the perverted hermit had gone off to, but had left him alone again in the dark forest. The air had grown very cold; he could feel the icy touch of the wind on any exposed skin, chilling his body to the core. He closed his eyes, concentrating, feeling the chakra flow through his body, faster, and faster. He held his right hand outward, as if expecting to have something given to him. He brought his left out to his right and began performing a circular, pumping motion over his right. He furrowed his brow in concentration, the sweat beading down his forehead, chilling him further. He took a deep breath and then allowed the chakra to flow out of his hand, his left forcing it to swirl randomly. It was difficult without the clone's help, but the perverted hermit said this was how it was to be learned. He pumped further power into his hand, a small, blue ball slowly forming there. It grew larger, until it encompassed his palm, the chakra swirling wildly in all directions. He opened his eyes for a moment, the bright cerulean color of his chakra lighting the area like a beacon. He closed his eyes again and began adding more power to it, attempting to form the disk shape he had seen earlier. The humming of the Rasengan grew louder and louder with each progressive second. Naruto opened his eyes again only to see a larger and much more unstable Rasengan in his hand. He kept his eyes open, squinting them, feeling the pain now coursing through his circulatory system, gritting his teeth as the rasengan ate more of his chakra. He raised his left hand and attempted to push the rasengan into the disk he had seen with more chakra. He pushed harder, trying to force the rasengan to form shape. He felt the Rasengan getting progressively weaker as he only succeeded in pushing the ball smaller. He demanded more energy forced into the ball to compensate, hoping the vicious tug of war with himself would result in the completed effect. A smile slowly twitched across his lips as he saw the Rasengan very slowly begin to take shape.

Suddenly, the Rasengan became unwieldy, he was losing control. He scrunched his face in concentration, trying desperately to maintain the stability, but it was too much now, the rasengan was beginning to deform. Naruto watched in horror as a loud woosh resulted from his hand as the energy from the Rasengan expelled itself. Snow, leaves, and debris were thrown everywhere as Naruto was flung through the air from the force of his own jutsu, hitting hard against a nearby tree. The impact on his spine made him grit his teeth as he slowly fell to his knees, coughing loudly. He looked back at the spot he had been. A large crater was there now, revealing the grass and dirt underneath a half-oval of exposed ground. "Dammit," said Naruto, "I can't even get it to form. How am I supposed to use this thing if I can't even get past the first step. Where is that perveted hermit anyway; he could be giving me a few pointers on how to do this thing." He slowly got to his feet when he heard a creaking in the branches behind him. He pushed his back to thetree again, his senses alert. He slowly pulled a kunai from his belt; he was panting heavily now, the exercise draining him. He heard the rustling again, this time to his right. He turned away from the tree and stared up. His eyes went wide as he stared off into the distance, feeling the rage swell in his heart again.

"I thought I felt you here," came a cool voice from above him, "I could hear your griping from ways away."

Naruto watched Sasuke hang from a thick branch, his feet seemed to stick to the underside of it as he watched Naruto with a bored expression, his hair spiking as it was pulled towards the ground. His feet suddenly became loose, and he fell towards the earth, bending his back quickly to land steadily on his feet, bending his knees slightly.

"What do you want," said Naruto, his voice raging again.

Sasuke eyed with idle curiosity, "I'm surprised you've not charged at me like a bull yet," he said, his tone mocking Naruto, "I guess you've learned some restraint since last we met. Oh course, I did see the aftermath of your temper tantrum in the hotel. Things like this, only prove how inferior you are to me."

Naruto's eyes widened, his heart raging, his pulse circulating the red chakra through his system again. He could feel the transformation taking place; everything Gai and Jiraiya said was trying to permeate back into his brain, fighting amongst his own raging emotions.

"**What are you waiting for? You've been handed an opportunity to destroy him once and for all. Take it."**

"Is that what I want? To kill him? After all we've been through. I can't just turn my back on him can I.

"**I'm getting tired of having this little debate with you. Right now, my Chakra is flowing through you, making you powerful, more powerful than he could ever hope to be. Compared to him, you are a god. Make him feel your wrath, your fury, your power. Make him see the truth of his mistake in the only way he knows how, sheer and absolute power. Then, and only then will you have truly fulfilled your duties as a friend."**

"...what? I don't understand."

"**You are his friend, and as a friend it is your duty to bring him back to your side, to regain what you have lost by any means necessary. You're correct, it is not too late, but if you show him that your rage, your hatred, can surpass his own, you can show him that his path is flawed. Give into your anger...give into me." **

"You really shouldn't take your eyes off your opponent," said Sasuke. Reality came flooding back to Naruto, as he heard Sasuke from behind him, on the ground now. He quickly turned around and prepared a defensive stance, ready for battle.

Sasuke chuckled underneath his breath. "You're so predictable Naruto," he said, "always ready to fight. I'm curious though, what was that thing you were working on; it sort of looked like the move that could not surpass my Chidori."

"What do you care," snarled Naruto.

"I was just-"

"Shut up!" roared Naruto, his anger coming forth to the surface. "Don't you care anything about the pain and suffering you've caused of those close to you? Do you know what your loss has caused for-"

"Don't you talk to me about 'loss' Naruto!" roared back Sasuke. Naruto was visibly taken aback by his sudden anger. "You have never lost as much as I have. You have no idea what it's like to have everything ripped away from your grasp so quickly! You were lucky Naruto, no parents, sibling, friends. You may think you're so lost without them, but what's worse is to have them for a short while only for them to be violently pulled from you grasp, never to have them again. My whole family, my CLAN was taken from me, and now my whole purpose revolves around his destruction. That is all I want and need Naruto, nothing else."

Naruto and Sasuke stared in cold silence, fury burning beneath the other's eyes. Naruto tensed his body, the cold air seeming to bounce off him in a warm steam as he bore his fanged teeth, ready to attack. Sasuke looked much the same, his eyes slowly revealing the circular, red pupil that his clan was trademarked for. The tension was mounting as both prepared to charge forward, ready to kill the other.

Naruto's emotions quickly changed as a third presence was felt to the right of them, in the dark forest. Naruto recognized this one and scowled as his eyes drifted off into the trees, searching them for the assailant.

Sasuke seemed to have felt something as well, he was looking near the same spot as Naruto, trying to pinpoint the feeling. "It seems this will have to wait," said Sasuke maliciously, "but you have no idea what true loss is Naruto, and you will never understand my pain." He then jumped off into the dark forest, Naruto's slitted eyes trailing him as he went.

Naruto's attention then diverted elsewhere, as he felt the other presence slowly begin to leave as well. It wasn't until he could not feel either one that he began to train again. 'Set,' he thought, scowling openly, 'what the hell does he want with me?' He returned to training the jutsu, forcing his body to deliver more chakra to his system, repressing the Kyuubi's unstable chakra for now. He focused further, forcing his body past it's limits. 'I'll get it this time,' he thought, 'I'll...' His body could take no more, and he felt himself collapse on the soft, cold snow, darkness consuming him yet again.

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Sasuke leapt higher amongst the trees, escaping his confrontation with Naruto, his blood still boiling from the events earlier. 'They don't understand,' he thought, 'neither of them. They're just going about their happy lives with the people they love and cherish, not realizing how easily it can be ripped away.' He continued on, but the odd presence he had felt earlier was still close by. 'Is it following me?' He passed by a particularly large tree and drove himself higher in the forest, seeing the bright lights of the city once again. He went farther until he heard a loud clapping sound coming from behind him. He stopped on a wide branch, shaking it slightly so that the snow fell down in a thin powder towards the ground. The clapping sound grew faster and more rhythmic until a strange Nin dressed completely in red emerged from the shadows. His suit seemed more like a scaly skin, and he was quite tall, but his eyes bothered Sasuke horribly. They seemed to create their own light in the darkness, and reflected a red pupil with a black, criss-crossing slash in the middle of it. It appeared as though he was applauding Sasuke.

"Bravo," came the Nin's malicious and mocking voice, still clapping, "well done indeed. You play the tragic hero even better than my brother."

"Who the hell are you," demanded Sasuke, eyeing the stranger, his muscles tensing in bunches as if preparing for an assault.

"A spectator for now," the nin said, "A second stage actor to the true drama that has unfolded before me today. You may call me Set or god, whichever you prefer," chuckling slightly at his own remark.

"I'll call you dead fool," replied Sasuke, "you obviously don't know who you're mocking."

Set scratched his chin, studying Sasuke through squinting eyes, "Yes, there's the difference," he said, his voice almost like he was studying a statue or inanimate work, "he's not nearly as arrogant as you are, but then again I don't know how strong you are."

"You're about to find out idiot." Sasuke charged forward, kunai held out in front of him, his Sharingan deactivated, not wanting to waste Chakra on such a fool. Set watched him idly and then quickly jumped backwards to a branch a few meters away. Sasuke smiled, "Oh, realizing our mistake are we coward?"

Sasuke was genuinely surprised whenever a gigantic laugh erupted from Set, echoing across the entire city. "You are just as bit as conceited as that man keeps telling us," chuckled Set. "The pale face thinks very highly of you, a bit much so in my opinion, Uchiha Sasuke."

"You know me," asked Sasuke, his voice staying determinedly stoic.

"Oh, there's not much I don't know about you Sasuke," replied Set, "apart from your true strength. He talks about you as if you were a divine gift, descended from the heavens themselves, to grace us mere mortals with your presence. He's banking quite a lot on you to succeed here," Set began to idly walk up the trunk of the tree, into the darkness of the sky. Sasuke followed him until he disappeared in the darkness above; he kept his Kunai close to his body, still following his senses to Set's exact location.

"I on the other hand," continued Set, his voice turning into more of a lecture than any actual threat, "only see you as the exact reason why I hate humanity."

"Oh, do tell," mocked Sasuke, still searching for Set's presence in the darkness.

"You would give up something as precious as 'free will,' in order to fulfill some petty grudge you have?" he asked rhetorically, "Such base human emotions, they really are disgusting. People like you have turned humanity into the dregs it is now. Worthless people, going about their worthless existences, only waiting for death to release them, such a pathetic life. I'd pity them if I didn't hate them so much. And you, willing to give up thought, emotion, life, just to kill someone, to satisfy a need for revenge!? It's simply amazing to me that a reason to destroy, kill, eradicate, is to repeat the process upon that which has done so to you without some higher purpose to it. Or at least some creativity to it."

"So what are you," chuckled Sasuke, "you seem awfully craven for a god. Why don't you come down and show me what you're really made of you gutless coward!?"

Suddenly, a rustling was heard from behind him, Sasuke quickly turned around to see Set hanging upside down from a branch, his face only centimeters from his own. Sasuke reflexively jumped back, keeping the kunai to his body. 'I missed him,' he thought, 'how the hell.'

Set's face erupted into a huge, Cheshire grin, revealing very jagged teeth and a long tongue that was pulled towards the ground from the side of his mouth. He quickly pulled it back in, making a loud, slurping noise as he did. "Because Sasuke," he said softly, flipping into the air and landing on the branch below him, "I don't kill simply because of rage. My anger, the rage that is within me, always serves a higher purpose. As the world turns, attempting to crush my existence, it builds. I am an ar-tist, showing the world the greatest masterpieces ever devised. Blood, death, gore, viscera, it's all part of a grand work!" He was raving now, his voice growing higher, "An amazing symphony of the screams of victims past, resounding across the world in a brilliant cacophony. And now, I am to achieve one of my greatest works, of two men, whom society has shunned and shackled, trying to keep our anger, our rage within human limits. This Uzumaki Naruto, will be part of one of my greatest epics, theater at its finest. His rage, his fiery passion, his fury, is so beautiful, it excites me so. That is why I would like for you to 'remove' yourself from him so that he may concentrate on a much worthier task than simply revenge."

Sasuke chuckled to himself, "You talk too much," replied Sasuke, "and I don't think you're going to have to worry about any works of art, you lunatic, because you're not going to leave this place alive." Sasuke reared back to his belt, pulling several more kunai from his holster. He activated the Sharingan and watched as an image formed around Set, predicting every movement he made beforehand. Sasuke smiled to himself as he watched the image raise a peculiar eyebrow, only for Set to follow suit.

Sasuke quickly threw the kunai from his fingertips towards Set, he himself already in the air, predicting Set to jump backwards. Set followed suit, jumping back to the trunk of the tree, attaching to it, for Sasuke to have already thrown a kunai in the direction. Set looked forward and jumped further up the trunk, only for another kunai to be sailing straight towards him. He narrowly avoided the last, missing his face by only centimeters. Sasuke smiled to himself as he played with the madman. Sasuke watched as the image motioned itself to jump off the branch, its muscles contorting under the scaly suit, only for Set to follow it like some kind of otherworldly guide. Sasuke landed on a branch beneath him and raced up the trunk of the tree, his footsteps reverberating off the trunk as he made his way up. He watched as the image landed silently on the trunk opposite, as Set followed suit again, landing with a loud thud and sticking to it, his eyes following Sasuke. 'Got you,' thought Sasuke, his hands blurring in front of him, making seals so quickly his fingers seemed blurred.

"Fire Element," he yelled, watching the image eye him oddly and then jump from the tree, "Great Fire Ball," he watched the image land on a tree opposite again as Sasuke smiled, breathing out red hot flames that illuminated the area like a miniature sun. He continued following the image, when suddenly, it became distorted and vanished from his sight. Sasuke's fire engulfed the area, blackening the forest and leaving trails of embers within the trunks of trees, the fire having melted large chunks out of them. Sasuke watched as Set's image came in and out of reality, Set jumping quickly now from tree to tree. "That's not possible," said Sasuke softly, "I should be able to predict all his movements."

Set moved out of sight, back into the darkness. "That's quite the ability you have Uchiha Sasuke," he said, his voice seemingly impressed, "Granted, I know nothing about the Sharingan you possess. Still, as gratifying as ripping your skinny body limb from limb might be, I made a promise that I would not touch you."

"Who," yelled Sasuke in the distance, "your master?"

"No," chuckled Set, "My brother. He wants you Uchiha Sasuke; you and the rest of the Leaf Eye Bloodlines. And as a promise, I said I would not touch you. In return, my brother will not touch Naruto. I would advise you to do the same Uchiha Sasuke; after all, you have enough enemies in this country." Sasuke watched in the distance as he felt Set get farther and farther away until he could not feel him anymore.

Sasuke released a held breath back out into the cold air, his now dark eyes wide with shock. 'How did he do that,' he thought, 'the image seemed to be distorted, like it was only temporary. Still, I would have killed him.' He looked on towards the city, wondering what exactly awaited him the day after in the Chuunin exams.

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Orochimaru sat alone in the compound he had chosen. The area was dark, and the damp smell of wood permeated through, reminding him of his primary base of operations. He sat on his knees, the cold stone underneath him sending a refreshing chill through his body. His yellow eyes were closed in the darkness; his mind contemplating the events that were coming around him. 'It's so strange,' he thought, 'to be feeling it now. Why here of all places and of all times? Why with those two? Hiketsu...'

"_Scalpel," came Hiketsu's cold voice. He held out his hand towards Orochimaru, silently demanding the necessary tool. Orochimaru stared at him with disdain, hating being treated like some second-rate nurse. He stared at the young man strapped to the wooden table. He was still alive, his eyes wide with shock and fear, tied spread-eagle across the table itself. His mouth was covered with a gag, but he was trying his hardest to scream, to receive some sort of help. He was some bum he had found earlier in the day; no one would miss him. It was always better to do things that way as to not arouse suspicion, 'better to erase the dregs of humanity anyway,' he thought to himself. Orochimaru had always wondered what went on through their minds; it must be terrifying to know that one was going to be eviscerated while wide awake, their mind totally aware of everything going on around them. He struggled violently against his bonds, rocking the table against the hard, stone floor; his eyes were drifting to past victims still shackled to the wall, their heads drooping downwards in a last, silent expression of fear and agony. _

"_Scalpel," came Hiketsu's voice again, harder this time. Orochimaru scowled at him, but handed him the tool he sought. Hiketsu did not turn his head, but moved his left hand across the man's shirt, grabbing it by the collar. With a flick of his wrist, he ripped the man's already tattered shirt off his body, revealing his bare chest. The man arched his back, attempting to break free of his bonds. Hiketsu raised his left hand again, and placed one finger in the center of the man's chest, driving him back down to the table with a large amount of force. "Watch Orochimaru," said Hiketsu cooly, "I can sustain this body for an hour or two at most, so we must observe what we can in that time. The upper body contains all chakra producing organs so an incision from the upper chest down to the midriff should be sufficient." Orochimaru said nothing but watched Hiketsu move forwards with the scalpel. The man's breathing quickened considerably, and Orochimaru could almost hear his heartbeat it pounded so fast against his chest._

_Hiketsu drove the scalpel into the upper sternum of the man, eliciting a muffled scream from him. He methodically made his way down past his chest and ribcage down to the very end of his stomach, a fine trail of blood showing where he had sliced through. Orochimaru watched stoically as the man thrashed harder and harder against his bonds, the pain becoming unbearable, perhaps enough so to make him grow unconscious. Hiketsu's head did not move as he finished the first incision, and Orochimaru could not tell if his white eyes ever moved. He placed the scapel delicately on the table, every one of his movements purposeful and slow. _

"_Observe Orochimaru," said Hiketsu, "at the true workings of man." He dug his fingers from both hands into the incision, into the rib cage, sending a shockwave of pain to which the man screamed a high pitched note that was muffled silently under his gag. Hiketsu's eyes remained open as he dug deeper, the knuckles of either of his hands touching now. He snapped his arms back, viciously pulling apart the entire rib cage so that the organs were now exposed to the air, blood thrown everywhere. Orochimaru shielded himself as the blood hit his face, closing his eyes slightly at the unexpected warm sensation it created on his skin. The man began convulsing, blood forming from his nose and mouth. Hiketsu's removed his hands from the person and began to perform an eight seal jutsu in almost a second. He placed his left hand on the victims head and the body went rigid and stiff, unmoving. The patient's eyes were still wide open though. Orochimaru watched the heart's beat begin to rhythmically slow down until it almost appeared at a relaxed state. Hiketsu's fingers crossed the table, searching for something. He rapped his knuckles against the table and quickly found the scalpel, holding it between two fingers towards Orochimaru. _

"_Take it," said Hiketsu. Orochimaru reached out and plucked the now bloody scalpel from Hiketsu's hand. Orochimaru looked at his hand; despite the fact that he had reached into the body itself, there was no visible blood on his body. His fingers, arms, face all still bore the same sickly pale look without a speck of red on them. "You know where to start," he said. Orochimaru approached the now prone body and began to probe the chakra producing organs. _

_Orochimaru had just wiped the blood from his body, changing his clothes and preparing to burn the evidence. The body was completely devoid of life, a lasting expression of fear and death forever plastered on his face. _

"_I need better than this," said Hiketsu. He was leaning against a far wall now, in between two of the corpses from a few weeks ago. "I need ninjas, and on a more regular basis. You can't just bring in a stray genin or chuunin every once in a while; I need ninjas of particularly strong chakra center in order to see if the seal reacts or not. I can't use this jutsu on people of weak chakra systems; they simply can't handle it. ANBU would be particularly nice, but I guess I can't expect anything of Jounin level."_

"_People are going to notice if ninjas are missing," snapped Orochimaru, "I can't just grab Genin, Chuunin, and ANBU off the street and bring them here; they'll be even more suspicious of me than usual." _

"_I fail to see where that's my problem," replied Hiketsu coolly. _

_Orochimaru shook with fury, enraged at this man's arrogance. "I've got a better idea, how about you-"_

"_Do you want to learn the immortality jutsu?" asked Hiketsu, his voice still quite stoic._

_Orochimaru was silent for a moment. "We've been at this for nearly two months," he said, his voice rising, "and yet I am not any closer than I was to achieving the immortality jutsu. As for this 'research' you're doing, I don't see the point in creating an enhancement seal like this."_

"_It's not so much an enhancement seal," lectured Hiketsu, "as it is a means through which to mutate chakra and turn it into a viable weapon." _

"_Chakra is a viable weapon idiot," replied Orochimaru snidely. _

"_Chakra when it is concentrated and formed into a jutsu is a weapon. However, my seal increases its potency by a great amount. It is still in its developmental stages, but when it is completed, a particularly strong Nin will be able to increase their strength exponentially." _

"_Why though? Why do you want to do this so badly?"_

"_That is not your concern. Just do as I say, and all you want and need will be yours."_

_Orochimaru stared at Hiketsu, murder burning in his yellow eyes, staring at the white globes in Hiketsu's head. "There's something I've been wondering about for some time. Your eyes, I've never seen anything like them before. They contain no visible pupil, iris, or blood vessels for that matter. And the way you act, needing to tap and hit certain things before picking up a still object...you're blind aren't you?"_

_Hiketsu did not answer but continued to stare unmoving at the floor in front of him. Orochimaru chuckled slightly but then erupted in laughter, echoing across the stone room. "I'm right aren't I," he laughed, "You can't see anything at all. Your senses are very refined though, as you can sense vibrations and sound waves to act as a second sight. Still, how pathetic to be taught by a blind man." _

"_I may be blind Orochimaru," admitted Hiketsu, "but there are many things I still see that you do not."_

"_Like what," replied Orochimaru indignantly. He was smiling ear to ear now having forced Hiketsu to reveal himself. _

"_Have you procured an apprentice," said Hiketsu, changing the subject quickly._

_Orochimaru laughed again, "Yes," he said, still smiling, "a particularly strong academy student known as Mitarashi Anko. Still, I wonder why you trust me with all of this. Surely you must have realized I could kill you at any moment?"_

"_Could you?" replied Hiketsu. Orochimaru hated it whenever he answered a question with another question. Hiketsu walked towards the exit of the room. "We will meet here again tomorrow. Then, I begin your training in immortality." Orochimaru watched Hiketsu as he swooped out of the room, his long cape billowing behind him..._

Orochimaru was shaken from thought by a loud knock on his door. "What," he said loudly, thoroughly annoyed. The door opened, revealing Zeumon, carrying what looked like half of Ninia in a large sack that was dripping of blood. Orochimaru rose a single eyebrow, and Zeumon began to go into a very angered rant.

"Some Leaf bastards...ambushed us, and we found Ninia like this. We found their forehead protector at the scene." He threw a metal band with the Leaf insignia on it at Orochimaru who barely caught it. Zeumon bowed deeply, realizing his mistake.

"You are sure of this?" asked Orochimaru, his raspy voice emotionless.

"Yeah," said Zeumon, his voice shaking with fury, "we should make them pay for this insult!"

"No," replied Orochimaru, "I don't want you causing any more incidents until the exams start."

"But-"

"Did I not make myself clear," said Orochimaru coolly.

Zeumon was silent, his eyes refusing to meet Orochimaru's. He bowed deeply and left the room, carrying what was left of Ninia with him. "Worthless," Orochimaru spat.

"They're not nearly as good as the ones you had before," came a voice from behind Orochimaru.

Kabuto slowly walked towards Orochimaru. "They're merely temporary until I find real warriors to call my elite. They can't even control those seals properly, and not one of them had potential for level two" replied Orochimaru, the malice rising in his voice, "Still, I can use this as a point against Tsunade for the Raikage."

"Do you think the Leaf did this," asked Kabuto.

Orochimaru shook his head, "The Leaf aren't that stupid," he said, "besides, from the looks of how she was killed, a Leaf nin would be out of the question. Ninia looked like she was split end from end; Leaf Nins are not trained to kill like that."

"Who then," asked Kabuto again.

Orochimaru did not answer. He continued to look at the trail of blood that Ninia's deranged mess had left. The feeling of nostalgia was washing over him again as he remembered Hiketsu. "That's irrelevant," he finally replied, "What's done is done, and I plan to use it for my advantage. Now leave me be Kabuto." Kabuto shuffled out of the room out of the door, the light outside reflecting off his thick glasses. Orochimaru watched him pass through and went back to his meditation.

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Naruto awoke slowly, his eyes adjusting underneath a bright light. All the images were blurry, and he his memory was fuzzy. Black lines and streaks were still in front of his face as his eyes were barely open underneath a bright light. The ground felt souft underneath him, and the air was warm, and smelled of a slight potpourri. He rubbed his eyes, causing stars to appear before them, gently rubbing the sleep from them. The room came into focus, as did his memory. 'I was training,' he thought, 'and then Sasuke was there, and Set too. But now, where am I.' He sat straight up and realized he was lying on the floor of the hotel room that his team was staying at. Two of the beds looked made, while a third laid slightly dishelved.

"Ah, I see the morning has brought color back to your youthful eyes," came a familiar voice from behind him. Naruto turned his head to see Gai behind him, doing sit-ups. Naruto looked aimlessly out the window; the billowing storm clouds had returned, delivering their precious energy to the city below, blocking out the sun again.

"How did I get here," he said aloud.

"Your most talented and caring sensei found you lying in the cold next to a hot spring in the forests on the outskirts of this place. You would have caught a most untimely death of cold had I not found you. I would suggest you return to the room by a curfew from now on, lest your sensei worry."

Naruto slowly got to his feet. TenTen was nowhere to be found as was Lee. "Where is everyone," he said.

"TenTen is out training in the early morning on the roof of this building where we will be joining her shortly. Lee was found in Asuma's students' room last night, but I imagine he will be around before long. You two seemed to have quite a wild night, but I hope your efforts will be concentrated more towards the Chuunin exam from now on. We only have today left, and we have much to do. Your sensei has prepared a special training regiment for each of you, especially you Naruto."

Naruto was slightly taken aback by Gai's tone, but a sudden pang of guilt shot through him. He hadn't seen Lee since yesterday. 'I wonder if he's alright,' he thought, 'I bet he hates me for what I did.' Naruto stared down at the floor, catching his sensei doing completely vertical push-ups now.

"You shouldn't let your face sag like that Naruto," said Gai, "you will blemish and wrinkle your most youthful looks." He shot Naruto a smile that sparkled brightly. "Cheer up. I'm sure Lee harbors no grudge against you."

Naruto's eyes widened again in shock. "How did you-" but Gai merely waved a hand in front of him.

"I am Maito Gai," he said, getting to his feet and striking a double bicep pose, "the strength that flows through these arms also flows through here," pointing to his head. Naruto chuckled at his sensei's antics. "There you go. Now, let's find your comrades shall we?" Naruto shot him a smile and went out the door, Gai following close behind.

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Lee slowly opened his eyes. The room was dark, in fact everything around him was still dark. He slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes, hoping his eyes would adjust to his surroundings. His deep breathing pounded inside his head, reverberating inside it. Lee groaned slightly and held his hand to his forehead. He slowly pushed himself up, feeling like his brain was being pulled through a schism in his head.

"Owww," he groaned, "my head. Where am I? What happened?" He slowly approached a sliver of light that had come from underneath a large door. He turned the knob and threw himself into the light, squinting as whiteness surrounded him.

"Hey Lee," shouted Naruto. Lee promptly covered his ears as Naruto's voice bounced hard around his skull like a ping-pong ball.

"You don't have to shout Naruto I'm right here," replied Lee, focusing his eyes on an orange and blonde blur in front of him. The pounding in his head seemed to have amplified now. 'What's wrong with me? I can't remember anything. Wait...I remember that place, and then I drank that energy drink...and now I'm here? Nothing makes sense.'

"Lee," came another familiar voice. Lee saluted a greenish, black blur in front of him.

"Yes Gai-sensei," he said, his own words causing his skull to seemingly crack.

"Where were you last night? And why do you reek of...Oh no," Gai's image came into focus, revealing his teacher's hand on his forehead, shaking his head back and forth. "Lee," he continued, his voice very stern, "I think that today we shall have a most important talk about the dangers of alcohol."

"Yes Gai-sensei," replied Lee, his voice slightly perplexed. 'What's Gai-sensei talking about,' thought Lee, 'Dangers of alcohol?'

"Anyway," continued Gai, his voice going back to the excited, fiery teacher Lee had come to know, "today is the last day we will be able to train fervently for the exams. Therefore, the Brilliant Beast has prepared amazing training regiments for each of you, specially designed to help you achieve outstanding results in the Chuunin exams." He began to shake with excitement, smiling widely and pumping his fist into the air, "How proud and amazed everyone will be whenever the students of the Great Azure Beast become Chuunins," tears suddenly began to stream down his face. "I guess it's time for the birds to fly away from their sensei's nest," he sobbed, "and become amazing beasts on their own!" He placed one arm around both Naruto and Lee in a tight embrace, bringing them close in a tight hug, still crying madly.

Lee was overcome with emotion for his sensei's compassion. "Gai-sensei," he sobbed, tears streaming down his face as well, his emotions blocking out any pain his head felt. He cried into Gai-sensei's shirt while Naruto merely stared wide-eyed in amazement, struggling to be released from Gai's grip.

Finally, Gai relinquished his tight embrace on his students, wiping his face with his sleeve, sniffling slightly. "Alright," he said, regaining his composure, "let's get ready." He placed a reassuring hand on both of their heads, mussing their hair slightly. "Follow me my students." He bounded off towards the stairs leading to the roof of the building, Lee following quickly. He suddenly stopped; Naruto was standing still, his brow furrowed, as if there was something amiss with the situation.

"Naruto, we mustn't miss Gai-sensei's most excellent training session," said Lee. Naruto snapped back into reality, smiling slightly at Lee.

Naruto looked up and shot Lee a smile, following quickly after Gai.

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Julius walked through the abandoned industrial district. Set had been missing since late last night, and they had agreed to go through the usual training session in the early morning. Julius continued to walk past the bums, hobos, and other riffraff that populated the alley ways in this district, making their homes in the abandoned buildings, the underside of the trash of this world. His stark appearance made him stand out considerably, dressed in his lose, white robe and pants that billowed in the wind, his boots crunching the snow beneath him. Everyone he passed needed a second glance at the mysterious figure that had intruded upon their territory. Julius continued farther in, the buildings becoming more and more dilapidated as he moved on. Debris and broken glass became common sight, as did the occasional drunk or beggar asking for spare change or alcohol.

Julius continued forward, ignoring all distractions, following the usual path through the snow. It was dark today, and the apparatus would be a good distance away, no one would hear. His heart beat faster as he approached a particularly defunct stone building that looked very ancient, the wall crumbling before his very eyes. He walked towards it, pulled a long, wooden door out slightly as it almost came off its hinges. He walked into a room that stank of rotting wood, rats, and a veritable mixture of different decomposing and disgusting elements. Julius walked steadily, his boots kicking up dust on the ancient floor. He suddenly stopped, looking down at a particular floorboard. His eyes scanned the area, looking for any signs of human life. He found none. He slowly pulled back on a crack in the boards, revealing a stone staircase leading downwards.

He eyed the area curiously; it had been some time since they had been given the opportunity to do this, but the Raikage insisted they train their skills. He walked down the steps, replacing the boards back on the hole. A thud was heard with each step as he walked on hard, grey stone, finally coming to a large, bolted door. He slid his palm against it, searching. Finally, his hand caught something, pulling it out, the door sliding open with a whoosh. Julius stepped forward only for the door to be closed behind him, a single candle illuminating a plain, stone room. A small control panel lay to the side, and hundreds of enraged and confused voices could be heard on the other side of a gigantic steel door. Some were clattering on it with various objects, attempting to break it down. Julius strode calmly over to the panel, pulling a microphone from the box.

"Attention," he said, his voice cold, "you are to arm yourselves with the array that will appear before you." He depressed a single button, and a loud whirring sound cloud be heard on the other side of the door, eliciting excited and perplexed expressions from the voices. "Prepare yourselves for battle. It will begin in a few minutes."

Julius took the top portion of his robe off, exposing his bare upper body. He threw it against the wall, waiting patiently for Set to arrive. The Raikage had requested the go 'all out'. 'It's not necessary,' thought Julius, 'we can take care of this rabble just fine without that.'

"Been waiting long," came a delighted voice from behind him.

Julius sighed, "You're late."

"Even gods need sleep brother," he said smiling. "Why are you disrobed? Does he want us to use full force against them?"

Julius nodded, staring at the massive gate. "That's such a waste of energy," sighed Set, depressing a mechanism on his suit. A slight hiss was heard as the material let loose from Set's body, becoming very loose. He pulled of the top part of the scaly armor and threw it to the side. "Well," he said, his voice bored, "how many?"

"155."

"Is that fair?"

"Twice that many would be, but I don't think he wants to overexert us before the exams."

"We'd be fine. Alright, let's go."

Julius flicked a switch, and the door began to move up with a heavy clanking noise. It only rose enough for them to slide under before it came down once again, hitting the sandy floor with a dull thud. It was quite well illuminated in this area with electric lights circling the perimeter; it was a mock model of The Coliseum, where most of the Chuunin exam would be taking place. It consisted of a sand floor, with a raised platform that extended well beyond twenty feet in the air, circling the area. The arena itself was only about three hundred feet across in a circular shape. On the other side of the coliseum was about one hundred and fifty armed criminals, exempted from death for a training regiment. They had different physiques, but altogether fat or small, they consisted of the same worthless trash that was about to be burnt from the earth. They stared at Julius and Set for a time, a large array of knives, swords, clubs, etc. at their disposal.

"Gentlemen," said Set finally in a booming voice, "you've been granted a chance at life! This key," he pulled a small, triangular key from his belt, "controls the door from which we came. To leave this place and gain your freedom, all you have to do, is take it from me." He placed the key between two of his fingers and placed it in his mouth, swallowing it. "Simple concept no?"

An excited murmur mixed in with laughter wove its way through the crowd who was now bearing down upon them. Julius observed them for a moment and closed his eyes. He could feel it, circulating through him, beginning the process. It felt like boiling water was invading his veins, slowly turning into needles that pushed their way outward. It was easily the most painful process he ever had to go through, but it was necessary. It burned him everywhere now, stung him everywhere, slowly boring its way deeper into his being. His body demanded release, but it had been so many times he learned to ignore it. Set was laughing, he always laughed loudly when they did this. The ground beneath them shook, and an agitated and slightly fearful murmur went through the crowd before the rushed quickly forward. Julius opened his eyes and prepared for battle...

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Kakashi sat bolt upright in his bed, a cold sweat drenching his entire body. His Sharingan was exposed, and he was dressed only in his black undersuit. His eyes were wide, and his breathing heavy. He could feel it, but it was faint and well hidden. His eyes drifted out the window; he had been dreaming again, dreaming of that day.

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Gai felt the sensation wash over him. It was weak, but he could easily remember the power he felt. He wondered if Kakashi was feeling the same thing, but quickly shook the thought from his mind and returned to his cheery attitude.

"Alright my most youthful prodigies," said Gai, "I understand that the Chuunin exam is only one day away and that you are all no doubt feeling the exciting energy flowing through your bodies in anticipation. The fire burning in your eyes, the power circulating through you, YOUTH IS AMAZING!!" he said as an ocean welled up behind him. Lee seemed to be the only one impressed by this, as the other two were used to it by now. Gai chuckled to himself. "First off," he turned to the rightmost student, "TenTen, I have called in a favor from our Hokage Tsunade, whom you respect so much. She has agreed to oversee your training for a single day. I know that you no doubt will miss the teachings of the Beautiful Azure Beast, but even I don't know everything. Therefore, I will allow you to broaden your horizons a bit, just for today."

Gai thought he had never seen his student so happy. Her eyes were in very wide and a giant grin was on her face. She rushed up to Gai and hugged him tightly around the waist. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you," screamed TenTen, "Gai-sensei, you're the coolest!"

Gai smiled very widely, revealing his overly shiny teeth. "Yes," he exclaimed, "what you say is very true. The Amazing Azure Beast is known far and wide Now, Tsunade awaits your prompt arrival at the entrance of the hotel, but she may only be able to train you for a short while. She is after all Hokage, so make use of the time you have TenTen!" He shot her a thumbs-up pose as she bounded off to the hotel entrance. He watched her leave and then turned to still saluting Lee.

"Lee," continued Gai, "you will be training with Gaara of the Hidden Sand. He has requested you specifically as a training partner, and I have agreed. With any time left over, I expect you to return to your sensei for additional education as well. As for you Naruto, you will be staying with me as I have a very important private lesson I must teach you."

Gai observed his remaining students, but was puzzled whenever Lee's usually excited face seemed slightly downtrodden. "What is wrong Lee," asked Gai, sensing his student's apprehension, "I thought you would be thrilled to have a different training perspective."

"Well," stammered Lee, "It's...just that umm, why does Naruto get to spend all day with Gai-sensei?"

"You make it sound like a good thing," snapped Naruto, smiling slightly. Lee shot him a dirty look which elicited a loud laugh from Gai.

"Don't worry Lee," he reassured, patting Lee on the head, "Gai-sensei does not play favorites amongst his students. Now be off Lee; I'm sure your training session with Gaara-san will be most productive."

Lee saluted Gai one last time before sprinting down the stairs towards his destination.

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Naruto watched Lee sprint off down the stairwell, a trail of dust following his wake. His sensei was grinning like an idiot, chuckling slightly at himself. He suddenly brought himself completely straight up and took in a deep breath through his nose, his chest puffing outward. He paused making no sound, but he closed his eyes as if entranced by some beautiful music; he then exhaled slowly, as if savoring every moment the breath left his mouth. He opened his eyes and stared at Naruto with a very relaxed and jovial expression. "The air is wonderful here," he said, "even amongst the smokestacks and machines that interfere with it, you can still taste the original flavor of the mountain. Try it." He looked at Naruto, his hands on his sides, waiting patiently for Naruto to do something as simple as breathing.

Naruto stared perplexed at his sensei but followed his orders taking a deep breath in through his nostrils, whistling slightly. The air was pungent with the aroma of smog, a black, charcoal smell that sent a small twinge of electricity down his spine. He continued to inhale until his lungs were full and then held it, imitating his sensei. The mountain aroma suddenly permeated through, the smell of pine trees, lightly melting snow, and sweet, pure air sent a euphoric sensation through his brain, pulsing a relaxing wave across the rest of his body. He could feel the tenseness in his muscles droop as they relaxed heavily. It bore a faint reminder of Konoha in it. He felt a smile slowly cascade across his face, his beginning to close. However, he quickly snapped out of the sensation and came back to the present, confused at exactly what Gai-sensei was trying to accomplish. "What are you doing sensei," he asked, "what kind of training is this? We're just breathing; I'd figured we'd be sparring or you'd send me to the perverted hermit."

"Humor your sensei Naruto," replied Gai cheerfully. He turned to the mountains in the distance. Their peaks extended far into the black and grey sky, disappearing under a heavy sheet of darkness. "What do you think of this land Naruto?"

Naruto cocked his head in a confused expression, wondering exactly what Gai was getting at, but he decided to play along. "I think it's really drab," he said, "It's so dark and dingy, and the people here seem too busy with their daily affairs to even appreciate the sun."

Gai nodded his head at Naruto's statements, still staring at the mountains on the horizon. "So what do you think of Konoha then," he asked cheerfully, "is it precious to you?"

Naruto's mind flooded with images of Konoha. It must be sunny there; clouds seemed only to drift by aimlessly in pairs or singles rather than a huge, grey blob in the sky. The forests were always alive with life, even in the light snows Konoha had. From Spring, when the tree's leaves would be reborn, along with the colorful buds on the cherry blossoms. Life of different types and varieties would return, birds chirping in the sky, squirrels scurrying about the ground. In the Summer, the heat would warm the sparkling rivers flowing around and through Konoha, and the-

"**People there, do you remember them?"**

Naruto's mind was suddenly flooded with images of the people of the town, shunning him, pretending like he didn't exist, like he was simply something to endure or tolerate until he died. Their eyes, all staring so far away, leaving him alone. Why did it have to be like this? Why did they hate him so much? The rage was consuming him again, feeling the red charkra flow through his veins, amplifying his emotions, brining his anger to the surface. His breathing was quickening in pace, and he could feel his body slowly trans-

"NARUTO," came a voice from in front of him. It had grasped him by the shoulders and was shaking him slightly brining him back to reality. He looked up to see Gai stooped down slightly, a very worried expression on his face, his eyes full of concern. Naruto shook his head slightly, coming back to reality slowly as the red chakra faded from his system. He turned his face away from Gai, ashamed slightly that he almost gave into such anger in front of his sensei. Gai stood back up straight, looking down on Naruto. He was smiling again, very warmly so.

"Well Naruto," he began, his voice still very friendly, "Your sensei has only a few more questions for you. First off, you have many people you wish to protect yes?"

Naruto turned back to Gai and nodded fervently, "Yes," he said, "I have many precious people that I would protect with my life!" He smiled up at Gai who returned the gesture.

"But Naruto," said Gai, his expression turning slightly solemn, "do you think you can protect such people with that kind of rage?"

Naruto opened his mouth to answer, but quickly closed it. As much as he hated to admit it, Gai had a good point. This rage that he was feeling constantly now was nothing like the one he had felt during his fight with Neji or Gaara a long time ago. It was different, almost foreign to him, but it consumed him constantly. He continued looking at the ground rather than Gai, still deep in thought.

"Well my student," said Gai, "I have prepared a most special exercise for you. It will no doubt help you in the trails of the exam to come."

Naruto looked back up, his eyes screwed in determination, staring at Gai. Gai reached slowly into his vest pocket to pull out a bundle of papers that were thrown at Naruto. He caught them to see that it was a pretty big lump sum, about a hundred dollars. He stared at the money in his hands, back at his sensei, and then back at the money. "What is this for?" he asked, very perplexed.

Gai smiled widely, "For you to train in the art of relaxation Naruto. Your mind has been heavily stressed ever since we arrived here, and your usual boisterous and excited demeanor has been replaced with one that could cause as much damage to yourself as your enemies. Jiraiya agrees with me on this point that you should take the last day before the exams to relax your mind before feeling the immense burden of the exams come full force. So spend some time enjoying what this city has to offer; I know it's not Konoha by any stretch of the imagination, but still, it does offer a wide variety of activities that a youthful man such as yourself could indulge in."

Naruto stared blankly at Gai, wondering if this was a joke or not. Then again, despite his usually eccentric behavior, Gai was very serious about these types of things. "But," said Naruto, "I should train as hard as possible so that I can do great in the Chuunin exam. You said that yourself Gai-sensei!"

Gai merely smiled again at Naruto, "I know that," he said, "but there are different types of training. This little reprieve I'm giving you will help to train your mind, and will reduce the stress placed on it. A ninja who's mind and spirit are in turmoil will not be a very productive one. Just trust your sensei on this Naruto. After all, your most generous sensei has given you a nice sum of money. Spend it how you want."

Naruto looked at the paper in his hand, and smiled at Gai. "Alright," he finally succumbed, "I'll trust you on this one, but I'm going to spend everything you've given me here, and I'm going to train myself if necessary." He looked at Gai, a sense of determination welling within him. Gai started laughing loudly, confusing Naruto.

"That's the kind of attitude I like to see," shouted Gai, "Determination, guts, trust, you've got them all Naruto. Don't worry, if you want, I'll train you later on in the day. In the meantime, just trust your sensei's words and relax a little bit. Don't worry, we'll make sure you're ready for anything tomorrow." He then shot Naruto the classic nice-guy pose, flashing his very shiny smile. Naruto smiled broadly at his sensei before leaving down the stairwell into the city streets.

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Gai watched Naruto leave, sighing slightly. "You're pretty good with the kid," came a gruff voice behind him. Gai turned his head slightly to see Jiraiya appear behind him.

"Well," said Gai, "I am pretty amazing, and that quality rubs off on my students to make them even more amazing than me."

Jiraiya chuckled slightly, but his expression turned quickly serious. "I wonder how he's going to do in this exam," he said, "I have some concerns."

"I know, but I think he'll be able to keep his anger in check. He's gone through a lot after all; it's no wonder he can be so temperamental sometimes."

"I'm beginning to think that's only half of it," said Jiraiya darkly. Gai's cheery expression quickly turned to one of curios concern.

"What do you mean," he asked.

"It's just that, even with Sasuke's departure, that kind of rage seems uncommon for him. It's something I've suspected for a while, and now he seems to be exemplifying it quite a bit. I'm thinking the Kyuubi's chakra is beginning to affect him adversely. Unfortunately I'm not sure on all the functions of my student's seal. True, the chakra is allowed to flow into his system, but what if the Kyuubi is able to manifest itself through Naruto."

"You mean manipulate him," asked Gai, his voice very anxious now.

Jiraiya shrugged, "Maybe," he said indifferently, "It's just that he's tapping into a will that may be stronger than his own. The brief instance that we knew the Kyuubi, it seemed to be nothing but hate, rage, malice, and violence given a corporeal form, taking pleasure in only death and destruction. If the Kyuubi is affecting him in some way, we may need to take extra precautions around him."

Gai said nothing, but a feeling of helplessness overwhelmed him. "What should we do?" he asked.

"There's not much we can do," replied Jiraiya, "this is one of those things that he may have to face alone. All we can do is support him in any way we can."

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Naruto walked along the sidewalk in a very large, commercial area of the city. He had become accustomed to the sight of a bustling city, people going about their daily business, buying, selling, talking about trivial matters. It all seemed normal anymore. Naruto stared at the sum of money in his hand, wondering what he would spend it on.

"**Are you really going to allow yourself to be so easily manipulated? They're trying to keep you from getting stronger, and you only have one day left."**

"I trust Gai-sensei. He has a good point actually; maybe I do need some time to myself. I haven't even checked to see if they sell any good ramen here."

"**I can hardly believe what I'm hearing. Have you forgotten about Sasuke? Have you forgotten about the pain he has brought you? Can you forget all that so easily?**

"...No, but still, I feel like my mind has been split in half. I can't bring Sasuke to his senses if I kill him, and if clearing my mind and relaxing helps me concentrate better, then I'll do just that."

"**Imbecile! How many times do I have to tell you that your rage is what keeps you powerful and what will give you the edge in this-"**

"Hey, a ramen stand."

The stand had caught Naruto's eye; it struck out compared to the tall buildings and upscale modeling of the city itself. It seemed very simple, very similar to the stand in Konoha. It seemed to have very light business, as only a few people sat on the stools, shrouded by white cloth that kept half of their bodies obscured. Naruto marveled at how similar it was to the Ramen stand in Konoha. Same white paint, same smell of delicious, hot ramen emanating from it. Same old man griping about some cheapskate customer...

'Wait a second,' thought Naruto, 'that's...That is the same old man!' He rushed straight up to the stand and came under the curtain, shocked to find that the same old man and his daughter were tending a ramen stand in Thunder Capitol. "What the hell are you doing here old man," yelled Naruto.

The old man looked up, counting a large amount of money in his hands. "Oh," he said with mock surprise, "I thought I'd run into you sooner or later."

Naruto sat on a stool in front of the man, leaning his body against the counter. "What are you doing here anyway," asked Naruto.

"We're a small franchise," he said, "I have stands in many villages. What, you thought I only catered to your gluttonous person. During huge festivals such as this one, I travel around. I just got in a day ago, and let me tell you, Spamen is a huge hit here." He grabbed a can of the gross stuff Naruto had tried earlier. "Spamen," he said, his voice akin to a commercial actor's, "for your young, on the go types, who don't have time to enjoy the refreshing taste of ramen, we have better than the real thing, Spamen. Just one taste and you'll know the difference."

"Yeah," snapped Naruto, "the difference is that stuff tastes like crap."

"That's the beauty of this country," said the owner, smiling widely, "they're moving too fast to even taste the stuff. They just swallow it and move on. It's selling like crazy! So anyway, what'll it be shrimp?"

Naruto was too hungry to bark back at the owner. "Some of the barbecue ramen," he said excitedly.

"Alright, that'll be five bucks."

"What," exclaimed Naruto, "I'm a Leaf nin, everything I want is free here!"

"Well you're in my world now," replied the owner, "and in my world we pay with cash, up front."

Naruto laughed heartily, "Yeah right old man," he said, "like I'd pay for food when I can get it free anywhere here."

"You're not going to find ramen anywhere here," replied the old man, "to them, that's a low class food that you'd never stop to eat. You can go check if you want, but I know you'll be back. You're addicted to that sweet, fresh, scent of ramen, I know it.

Naruto scowled at the old man, but knew he was right. He had searched with most of his free time for some place that served ramen but didn't find any. 'Dammit,' he thought, 'should I spend money on a delicious meal, or take my chances on something free. This old man can't make me do anything, but that ramen smells so good.' He began pulling on his hair in frustration, making quite a scene of cursing and fidgeting, none of which seemed to bother the old man, who merely stared at him with a long smile on his face.

Naruto sighed and finally handed over five dollars to the man, who took them beaming proudly. "One barbecue ramen coming up," he said, pocketing the money quickly and preparing to make the ramen. Naruto despised the old man, but was quite grateful for a least a flavor of Konoha. It made him feel at home. However, something was twinging on the back of his neck, almost like someone was watching him. His hairs stood on end, but he remained relaxed. He calmly looked out the curtain, looking to the left and right, attempting to notice anything suspicious. Nothing caught his eye.

'What's going on,' thought Naruto. He continued observing the passerby, none of whom seemed the slightest pit concerned with Naruto's presence. Suddenly, his eyes became affixed with a light post across the street. Something was odd about it, as parts just seemed out of place on it. He looked closer to realize that there was someone behind it. The person quickly stuck their head out, but replaced it fast whenever they found Naruto looking. Naruto smiled slightly, remembering Gai's words that food was always eaten better with comrades. After all, he did feel a little nostalgic here, and a little lonely.

"Hey Hinata," yelled Naruto, waving across the street, "what's up!? You want some ramen!? I can treat you!?" Hinata slowly came from her hiding place, a furious crimson coloring her face. 'What's up with her,' thought Naruto, 'Oh well, at least it's somebody I know.' Hinata slowly made her way across the bustling street, fidgeting slightly. She finally brushed away the curtain, and sat on a stool a few ones away from Naruto.

"H-H-Hello Naruto-kun," she stammered, "how are you." Her words came out very slow, like her mind was jumbling to find a place for them. Naruto raised an eyebrow, eyeing Hinata, who blushed even redder than before.

"So," he finally said, "what do you think of this place eh? It's big, but it's nothing like Konoha. But what's with all this weird stuff they've got here; I've never seen any buildings or spires like this back home. And where are they going to have the Chuunin exams anyway? I've haven't seen any buildings that seem suitable for that. What do you think Hinata?"

"Yes," replied Hinata quickly. Naruto shot her a perplexed expression before Hinata seemed to fully comprehend the question. "Well," she stammered again, "I think that it's a nice country. It's dark sometimes...well it's dark a lot of the time. Almost all the time, just dark." She was silent for a while, idly twiddling her fingers.

"Yeah," replied Naruto awkwardly. He finally had a bowl of ramen pushed in front of him which he began to devour fervently. "So Hinata," he said in between chewing, "what do you think of this Chuunin exam coming up?"

"It's interesting," she replied softly, "I hope that I'll make it to the end and become a Chuunin...what about you Naruto-kun?"

"Mfff," replied Naruto, a mouthful of ramen still in the process of being chewed. He finally slurped the remains up and answered the question. "It's going to be pretty interesting. There are a lot of strong guys here. Hey Hinata, aren't you going to order anything?"

"Oh," she said suddenly, fidgeting in her stool, "N-No thanks, I'm not hungry."

Naruto finished off his bowl, handing it back to the owner of the stand. "Well that's too bad," said Naruto, "ramen really is the best food in existence. It would be better if it weren't served by such a stingy man though," shooting a dirty look at the old man behind the counter.

Hinata laughed slightly at Naruto's comment. "Well," she finally said, "it was nice talking to you Naruto."

"Oh," said Naruto, "well, alright. I'll see you in the exams I guess." She waved to Hinata as she left, feeling quite at ease with himself. "I guess Gai-sensei was right," he said, "I did need some time to relax, but I'm relaxed enough now. Better find a suitable training spot."

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The Raikage watched aimlessly from a tall spire as the assembly of ninja began to appear in front of the gates of the Jade Palace. The Lord of Thunder would be giving them a welcoming speech in a few minutes, after all of the ninjas had been gathered together. The Raikage scowled deeply as he watched the Lord of Thunder arrive, watching as the decrepit, old man make his way across the stage. It was around midday now, and it was the last day before the Chuunin examination.

'Trying to upstage me old man,' thought the Raikage maliciously, 'that won't happen for much longer.' He was holding the Leaf forehead protector that he had planted at the scene the other day. Orochimaru had presented him with evidence for his dead nin earlier in the day. The Raikage smiled slightly, anticipating what Tsunade's reaction would be when he told her that the entire Leaf was now under investigation. How pissed she would be that her clan was being accused of plotting the murder of their enemies under a guise of peace. But this was just the first step, the initial spark to start the blaze. The Chuunin exam would be the real show, and everyone had to play their parts accordingly. He looked over the crowd of nin that had gathered now. Almost everyone was here, and despite the massive size of the audience he could still pick out Julius and Set amongst the many Hidden Cloud genin.

"You two had better do this flawlessly," said the Raikage aloud, "The success of this mission rests mainly on your shoulders. You had better not fail me."

There was a slight wind as a door opened behind him. The Raikage could feel him approaching; he always had the strangest aura about him. The dull thud of his boots could be heard behind him, but the Raikage kept his attention focused on the present. "What are you doing here," he finally asked when he felt him get close.

The figure merely came to the Raikage's side, still in the shadows, his figure obscured, saying nothing. "I hate that man," said the Raikage softly, his eyes staring daggers through the Lord of Thunder. "Ever since the war, we've had to rely on his funding because of those damn Leaf. He's had more say in our operations that he should have, and now he regards us as obsolete; like ninjas are a thing of the past to be replaced with his own armed forces. He shouldn't even be necessary; the Izou dynasty never had to put up with the likes of him, neither should we."

"I didn't come here to listen to your griping," came the cold voice beside him.

"So why are you here," replied the Raikage.

"You knew the price you would pay for my services. I expect it to be paid in full. Don't forget that."

The Raikage chuckled slightly. He watched as the Lord of Thunder made his way to the podium to begin his speech, a round of forced applause emanating from the audience of nin in front of him. "You've only been here a day, and you want to get straight to business. I always like that about you, but I'll have to postpone payment due until the end of this exam. You understand of course?"

"I suppose," replied the voice, "I can wait. I have been doing so for some time. Just don't forget our bargain."

The Lord of Thunder was moving towards a flourishing end to this speech in front of the nins; he was a notoriously bad speaker and his speeches never lasted too long. The Raikage turned around to face the stranger; staring down into the white globes he called eyes.

"I won't forget, Hiketsu."

A/N: Another long one. Had to wrap up a few things before I started with the Chuunin exam. Been trying to update faster, but with little success. I think I'll be able to get another chapter out before the end of this week though.

Next Chapter: The Chuunin Exam


	22. Part 40: Beginnings Old and New

Part 4.0: Beginnings Old and New

Naruto's eyes slowly opened. His face was in a very cold pool of water that rippled gently against his face. His eyes came into focus as a very dull light penetrated through, blinding him slightly. He placed his hands against the floor under the inches of water and pushed himself up. The coldness of the water contrasted to the hotness of the air billowing in front of him. A rhythmic breathing echoed across the cavernous room. Naruto looked around, on his feet now, shaking the water droplets from his hair. The place looked very familiar, and it was only a few seconds before he realized he had been here before. He stared forward to see a massive gate was standing before him, with an emblem marked 'seal' in front of it.

"Here again," he said, "what do you want?"

A gigantic roar shook the room, causing large waves to appear in the shallow water. Naruto covered his ears slightly, attempting to dull the sound.

"**HOW DARE YOU!! You ignore me, after all I've done for you. I'm the reason you've gotten this far! Without me, you would never have beaten the powerful enemies you came up against, and without my power, you would be long dead. Despite all this, you come to resent me, the beast that has granted you so much."**

The outline of the Kyuubi appeared, showing a massive wall of flame with two eyes that burned with fury in the middle. A gigantic mouth showing razor sharp teeth was snarling fiercely at him.

"So what if I do," said Naruto defiantly, "you haven't exactly been the most gracious guest in the world."

"**You should know by now that you will have no chance of beating Sasuke without my assistance. He is far too powerful for you alone."**

"Then I'll beat him in my own way. I can still pull out your chakra when I need it."

"**How impertinent. It is an honor for a weak fleshbag to house such a legendary demon such as myself. You should learn to respect that." **

"You know, I didn't ask for this honor of having you placed inside of me. It could have been anyone, but it was me, so you'd better learn to accept that. You are one of the most evil beings on the continent, and you've caused me more trouble than you're worth. If not for you-"

The Kyuubi's expression changed from one to amusement as a gigantic laugh shook the earth all around him, small pieces of debris falling from the ceiling. Naruto was knocked off balance slightly and landed on his back in the water, a small splash cushioning his fall. He scowled up at the Kyuubi, very aggravated now.

"**Anyone you say? You think it could have been anyone? You really cling to the belief that I was sealed inside of you by random chance!?"**

Naruto's defiant expression disappeared as an almost angered curiosity overwhelmed him. He slowly got to his feet, "What do you mean?"

"**So now you're interested in what I have to say? Well too bad boy. Suddenly I don't feel like talking."**

"Answer me!"

There was an empty silence between them, only interspersed with the Kyuubi's loud breathing. It was smiling wickedly at Naruto now, mocking him slightly.

"**I don't know what's more pathetic about you, the fact that you're such a weak minded idiot, or the fact that the people around you know more about who you are than you do."**

"What?"

The room slowly began to fade away, the walls turning into blackness, with the Kyuubi's sinister laughter the last thing he heard before darkness consumed him.

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Naruto's eyes slowly opened, revealing the same hotel room he had stayed in for the past few nights. He looked out the window by his bedside. It was still ridiculously dark, a large black mass hanging overhead, shielding the stars and moon from view. A sliver of light was seen under the door. Naruto sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he made his way out of the bed. Lee was missing from his, and TenTen seemed to be stirring slightly as well. He looked over to a nearby clock, illuminated red in the darkness. 'The exam starts at 7:00,' he thought, 'we're supposed to meet in front of Mt. Izou in the back reaches of the city. That's in another two hours.' He yawned widely, his lungs inhaling deeply, before shooting the air out slowly. He made his way to the bathroom, opening the door quietly so as to not awake a still sleeping TenTen. He closed the door, flicking on the light, looking straight at his own reflection. His blond, spiky hair had been dishelved quite a bit, being half flat and half-spiked. He still bore the expression of insomnia, looking into the redness of his half-closed eyes. His mouth drooped slightly as he wiped a bit of drool from his chin.

'What was that,' he thought, his mind racing back to his confrontation with the Kyuubi. 'He must just be messing with my mind, but what was it talking about?' He leaned down and turned on the faucet, the warm water rushing out into the sink. He cupped his hands under it and splashed it up in his face several times, keeping his face near the sink. He grabbed a towel blindly to the side and looked back up to see the Kyuubi's face maliciously staring back at him through the mirror. Naruto recoiled in shock, jumping backward to the door, knocking himself against it hard with a loud crash.

A loud knock came on the door, "What the hell are you doing in there," came TenTen's muffled voice, "Don't hog the bathroom!"

Naruto's eyes drifted towards the door, away from the Kyuubi's malicious gaze. "Sorry," he said quickly. He turned back to see his own terrified reflection staring back at him. His heart was racing, pumping adrenaline through his body, a feeling of panic still flowing through him. He slowly made his way back to his feet, approaching the mirror cautiously, his reflection matching his movements. He touched the mirror, feeling its cold, smooth surface. The eyes in the mirror were red and frightened, but quickly turned back to their normal, bright blue as he began to calm down. He sighed and made his way out of the bathroom, the feeling of fear still lingering within him.

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Naruto slowly made his way up to the roof of the building, anxious for some last minute practice with the jutsu before heading off to the exam. He passed through the final door, the cold air welcoming his entrance. It was very windy today, rippling his hair and body suit against him. He squinted his eyes as he watched a dim, greenish blur circle quickly around the city, only being seen in the light of some of the posts. Naruto chuckled to himself as he turned away from Lee's early morning exercises. He cleared his mind, concentrating hard on flowing his chakra through his body. He held out his right hand in front of him, repeating the process of creating the rasengan. He could feel the warmth being sapped from his hand and body as he stood still in the cold. Visibility was still optimal since there was no snow, but he kept his eyes closed in concentration. He pumped chakra into his hand. Blue light began to penetrate the darkness that surrounded him, giving the air an eerie glow. The chakra began to swirl around a single point, spinning faster and faster; the brightness of the ball increasing as Naruto's left hand pumped around it. Finally, a complete rasengan was formed. He closed his eyes to concentrate again, forcing more power into the blue, spinning ball. The instability was increasing as the light now shone through his closed eyes. He could feel his own clothing ripple against the power of the chakra swirl. He slowly opened his eyes, blinded slightly by the massive ball that was in his hand now. He placed his other hand upon the top of it, attempting to form it into the disk yet again. He forced more chakra in his other hand, pushing down harder, feeling the two forces ripple against each other.

"Still haven't gotten it," came a gruff voice behind him.

Naruto looked behind him only to find that was a horrible mistake as the resulting loss of concentration caused the unstable rasengan to lose form and backlash upon him. He was pushed back in an explosion of his own chakra, skidding quickly across the roof of the building. Jiraiya placed one firm hand on his body, stopping him in his tracks. Naruto looked up to see Jiraiya smiling down upon him. Naruto removed Jiraiya's hand from his back and stood straight up.

"You could give me some help on this," said Naruto, "I can't form the stupid thing into a disk. Every time I try to make it bigger, it just spins out of control."

"Well, then maybe you should just try making a small disk," said Jiraiya condescendingly.

"What good will that do," asked Naruto.

"Practice makes perfect," replied Jiraiya, giving him a hard pat on the head. "Just try making the disk for now. It's a little more complicated than making the ball, but it's not impossible. When you've mastered that, then you can move on to making it bigger. You're not going to get this down in a couple of hours anyway, so take your time. This doesn't look like something you can use in the exams coming up."

Naruto shot Jiraiya a dirty look, but returned to his training, keeping the perverted hermit's words in mind. He held out his blistered hand again, ready to form another rasengan. He concentrated hard, his veins and arteries feeling like they were boiling, a caustic sensation washing over him. He slowly saw a smaller blue ball form again and again tried to press it down into a disk shape.

"No, no, no, no," laughed Jiraiya, "you can't force it into that form."

Naruto released the blue ball, readying himself for the slight recoil that followed, shoving him slightly. "What do I do then," he asked Jiraiya impatiently. Jiraiya walked over to him, slowly pulling out a long pen from behind him.

"Give me your hand," he said, Naruto following his order. He turned Naruto's hand palm up and placed a small spiral in the middle of it. "You remember this right?" Naruto nodded in acknowledgement. "Alright, then watch this." He then proceeded to make to smaller spirals to the sides of the larger one. "Do you understand?"

Naruto stared at his hand, a perplexed expression on his face. He looked at the marks on his hand, back at a smiling perverted hermit, back to his own hand, desperately trying to figure out the hermit's riddle. Finally, after a minute of silence between them Naruto finally spoke. "What's this supposed to mean anyway?"

"Well," replied Jiraiya, "you'll just have to figure that out on your own." He pat Naruto on the head condescendingly as Naruto shot him a dirty look. Naruto could hardly believe Jiraiya was leaving him with such vague clue when he knew so much more about this jutsu that Naruto.

"_**I don't know what's more pathetic about you, the fact that you're such a weak minded idiot, or the fact that the people around you know more about who you are than you do."**_

These words cut through Naruto's mind as he watched Jiraiya get ready to leave. "Wait," said Naruto, looking down at the floor slightly, somewhat uncomfortable with the question he was about to ask.

"I'm not going to give you any more help," scoffed Jiraiya, "not until you finish the first stage of this. You've got to do some things on your own kid, or you'll never become the great ninja you want to be."

"It's not that," said Naruto softly. Jiraiya stopped and turned around, a confused expression on his face. "I just…the Fourth Hokage was your apprentice right? You said so when we first met Tsunade-sama."

Jiraiya raised a perplexed eyebrow, but nodded at Naruto wordlessly. "Well then," continued Naruto, still feeling very akward, "why…why did I get chosen as the Kyuubi's container?"

Jiraiya was visibly taken aback by this question, his eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. His eyes shifted about anxiously, but he quickly changed to a warm smile. "You were just kind of around at the right, or wrong, time," he said, chuckling slightly. "You had been born on the same day the Kyuubi attacked, and you were just chosen. It's that simple." Jiraiya laughed slightly again, but Naruto was not satisfied with this explanation. He opened his mouth to ask Jiraiya again but was interrupted when a third party entered the conversation.

"Ah," came Gai's voice, "I have found you mymost amazing pupil. You cannot doddle today; you must make haste to the destination prescribed to you and win this Chuunin examination." Naruto looked over to Gai, who was saluting him, flashing his shiny teeth, Lee and TenTen on either side of them.

"Well you'd better go," smiled Jiraiya, "no need for you to waste anymore of my precious time. Good luck brat." Naruto returned the smile half-heartedly, but went towards his team. Gai gave them all a farewell hug, grasping them tightly, and crying a river onto them, before releasing them to head to the outskirts of the village for the first test.

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Gai waved at his students as the quickly descended the stairwell, off to their first test. He sighed deeply, reminiscing slightly when he attended his first Chuunin examination. Unfortunately Kakashi had beaten him in their first real fight, but he did manage to become a Chuunin. 'I know they will all make Konoha proud,' thought a smiling Gai, 'after all, they are students of the Great Azure Beast.' He turned around to Jiraiya; "So," he began, "what amazing skill have you been teaching Naruto anyway." However, Jiraiya seemed lost in thought, and did not respond. "Umm…Jiraiya-sama, is something wrong."

Jiraiya looked at Gai solemnly, his face very serious and stony. "You know what he asked me just before you entered," he said, "he asked me why he was chosen as the container of the Kyuubi."

Gai's eyes widened in legitimate shock, a feeling of anxiety going through him. "What did you tell him," asked Gai nervously.

Jiraiya shook his head, his hair flopping from side to side, "Just that it was by random chance," he replied, "I really don't like lieing to the kid, but he's not ready for that."

Gai nodded in agreement. "Still," he said, "when is he going to be ready to learn it. Ever since Kakashi told me…I can't stand lieing to my students. It's just not like an Azure Beast to keep secrets, and there's far too many to keep in this situation."

Jiraiya shot Gai a very odd look. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

Gai suddenly went from a very serious expression to his usually fiery one. "Just that the Brilliant Beast is a very simple and straightforward sort, and that he always keeps his word." He ended his speech with a usual good-guy pose, confusing Jiraiya further.

"Right," Jiraiya said slowly, "well, I've got some information to gather. I'll see Naruto again whenever they reach…well you'll find out." Jiraiya jumped from building to building in the direction of the hot springs as Gai watched him go until he could no longer see the perverted hermit in the darkness. He sighed heavily, guilt giving him an odd pang in his chest. More than that, the ominous feeling of Hiketsu kept driving itself deeper into his skull. He looked off towards the back of the city, his eyes seeing the small dots ofthe many genin moving towards the dark clouds in the distance.

"Be safe," Gai said softly, "there's more here than meets the eye my young pupils."

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Kakashi walked slowly through the darkness, his hands swaying slowly at his sides. He had left the city some time ago, moving through a forest a few miles from the city itself. It was still very dark here, and the snow bore no signs of movement. The trees were completely bare, the bark stripped from some as the local wildlife searched desperately for food. Kakashi strode at a slow pace, letting his senses take in every aspect of the land. He breathed deeply, the feeling of nostalgia coming into his mind. He continued to walk forward, farther into the forest. There was no sun today, no rain or snow. The day itself seemed to be dead in this cold land. He plowed onward, making light treads in the heavy snow, the cold ground crunching beneath his feet.

He traversed deeper into the forest, pushing his legs through ankle deep snow. 'It should be around here,' thought Kakashi. Suddenly, he emerged from the forest into a small clearing. Stumps littered the area, and grass peaked through a light layer of snow here. Kakashi could feel a pang of guilt flow through him as the memories of that day pierced through…

"_We'll camp here," said Kakashi, signaling orders to the group he commanded. They had ventured into deep Thunder territory to keep reconnaissance as close as possible to Thunder Capitol and also to intercept any supply lines and recon forces the Hidden Cloud sent out. This mission had been ongoing for nearly three years, a few months after the Kyuubi incident back at Konoha, resulting in the death of his mentor, the Fourth Hokage. Kakashi could still vividly remember The Fourth's smiling face, seeming to light up even the dreariest of days, smiling to the end. "He is a hero to the village," were the last things his sensei had ever said, concerning the newborn baby that the Kyuubi had been sealed into. With that, his sensei had passed on, still baring the same warm smile to his death. Kakashi could feel his emotions coming to the surface again, sending chills down his spine, but he fought them back under, welling them within the dregs of his soul. 'I can't get nostalgic,' he thought sternly, 'I'm a Jounin, in charge of a very important mission. I have to keep focused. Still, it's been so long, I can barely remember Konoha.' He was sixteen now, already a Jounin in charge of one of the most important operations going on within the Leaf. Originally, the party had been himself, Obito, Tiara, and Gai, but because of the success of the operation, ANBU reinforcements had been brought in as well to increase the amount of missions they could conduct. Roughly twenty ninjas were now under his command, each one trusting his every word, never doubting him. _

"_You get too deep in thought, you're going to lose focus on the moment," came a mocking voice from behind him, 'Didn't you always used to say that when you were commanding the old team?"_

_Kakashi turned around to see Obito smiling back at him, his black eyes staring through thick goggles that were fogging in the cold. His spiky black hair was still cut short to his head, and had never changed since the day Kakashi had met him. He was still a little shorter than Kakashi, which aggravated Obito to no end, having failed to beat him in something. Kakashi smiled back slightly, "You always did it during critical moments," lectured Kakashi, "The enemy could have slapped you in the face, and you still wouldn't have been removed from your thoughts, such pathetic behavior," Kakashi added jokingly._

_Obito gave him an indignant snort before becoming serious again. "So," he said, "what are we doing here 'sir'," he added conceitedly. The area was being cleared away quickly, the ANBU clearing trees to create a permanent campsite. "Is it wise to be doing this? The enemy could find us easily."_

"_This is a decoy spot," replied Kakashi, "there have been reports of Hidden Cloud nins in this area, and I want to draw them out without exposing ourselves. Making a mock base like this one could be a good way of doing that. Have we received any word from Konoha?"_

_Obito shook his head, "I'm afraid not," he said, "It's not like them to be this late with information."_

"_Something must have come up," said Kakashi calmly, "nothing to worry about. They probably have more important matters to deal with. Still, keep an eye open for-"_

"_KAKASHI, OBITO, COME QUICK," came the frantic and loud voice of an ANBU in the distance. They both exchanged troubled looks and ran in the direction of the voice. The entire encampment was parked in front of the elongated, communications array from Konoha, usually to listen in on signals the Hidden Cloud were sending out. A small, mousy ANBU was listening to the message on head phones, and everyone seemed to have looks of almost gleeful anticipation on their faces. _

"_What's this all about," demanded Kakashi. The ANBU quickly fumbled with some switches and removed the headphones, the static of the signal sounding out loudly before a broken signal was recovered._

"_For those of you just joining us," came a very broken and distorted woman's voice, "It is official, the Hidden Cloud have surrendered and are willing to discuss a complete peace treaty with the Leaf. This surrender does not come as a surprise after the unexpected deaths of nearly all the Hidden Cloud bloodlines in the village a few years past. The official surrender was given by the Seventh Raikage only hours earlier, calling for, 'an end to this pointless bloodshed, so that we may enter an era of peace and prosperity between nations.' Delegates from the Hidden Cloud are coming in from Thunder Capitol and should arrive within a week's time. We will keep you informed as more details emerge." _

_A hush ran through the encampment, only a collective breathing heard amidst the entire crew. Suddenly, one of the ANBU began to laugh slightly, followed by another, which soon erupted in a cheering procession as the message of peace seemed to relight the spirits of every person in the area._

"_Quiet," yelled Kakashi, the excitement slowly coming down to a slight murmer. "Now, if what we just heard is true, it is cause for celebration. But, we can't let our guard down yet, not until we're back in Konoha. I'm just as happy as any of you are, but let's just wait and see what develops from this. Now, I want this encampment up in the hour, and I want constant reports on what's going on with the peace situation in Konoha, is that understood?" A quiet agreement went through the crowd as they dismembered and went about their duties, but the smiles had not been washed from their faces. _

"_Party pooper," laughed Obito, "you just don't like the idea that you're going to lose your precious command."_

"_Well we can't let our guard down," replied Kakashi sternly, "like I said before, I'm excited too, but I imagine some groups of Cloud nins aren't going to be to happy about this. A threat still exists, and as long as a threat still exists, I am in charge." Obito gave Kakashi a mock salute. Kakashi scowled at him, but still. The thought of peace seemed very foreign to him now, fighting the Cloud non stop for these past three years. Even before then, he was always fighting in some foreign land, expanding his reputation, Hatake Kakashi, the fearsome assassin whose Lightning Edge was feared throughout the land. He laughed inwardly as he felt a pair of long arms embrace him tightly around the neck._

"_Lighten up scarecrow," came a playful voice from behind him, "Always rules and regulations with you. I swear, you really know how to kill a mood." _

_Kakashi blushed slightly under his black mask as Tiara gave him a playful swat to the head. He turned around slowly, his voice nervous and cracking slightly; his hands fumbling in front of him. His eyes shifted towards Obito for some kind of assistance in conversation, but he simply leaned lazily against a nearby tree, enjoying his friend's plight. "Well," he replied, "you know…it's just…um…"_

_Suddenly, a green streak appeared before his eyes and knocked him backwards, Tiara dodging quickly to the side. Kakashi sprawled to the ground but quickly slid back to his feet, ready to repost against whatever force had attacked him. His eyes narrowed at the image of a tall, bowl-headed Jounin, laughing mockingly at him. _

"_Once again, I have proven that the Great Azure Beast is an amazing sight to behold. Once again, I have defeated the genius ninja Kakashi, distracted no doubt by my most brilliant sneak attack. And once again, I have shown who is truly superior…none other than Maito Gai, Konoha's Brilliant Azure Beast!" to which he ended with a whooping crane pose, complete with a frothing ocean behind him. _

"_That really is a stupid jutsu Gai," snapped Kakashi, scowling at his assailant, "and what are you doing anyway? I ordered you to scout the area an hour ago; your team can't possibly be done by now."_

"_Well," said Gai, smirking broadly, "for any 'normal' ninja, such a thing would not be possible. But for the Amazing, wonderful, and brilliant Azure Beast of Konoha, the impossible is made possible. Hence, why I am up 25 to 20 in our eternal rivalry." He outstretched a single hand towards Kakashi, making the difference in his hand. He then turned his palm inward and went into his battle stance, flicking his fingers out towards Kakashi. Kakashi stared back at him, an infuriated expression hidden behind his dark mask. He eyed Gai carefully, readying for any attack and counterattack in his mind, every single detail of the surroundings being absorbed in his mind, looking for the best possible route to take this arrogant bastard down. _

"_C'mon Kakashi," came Obito's voice, yawning slightly, "Since when have you been so petty anyway? Like you said, we've got better things to do." Kakashi shot his friend a dirty look, but relinquished his stance and returned relaxed, Gai following suit, a triumphant smirk on his face. _

"_Did you find anything," asked Kakashi, his teeth still clenched. _

_Gai shook his head, shaking the loose bangs around his eyes. "We didn't find any ninjas or civilians for that matter. Usually the roads near here are in use, but everything seems so dead today. Did you hear anything from HQ?"_

"_Yeah," replied Tiara before Kakashi could answer, "supposedly, The Hidden Cloud have surrendered and are ready to talk peace with us."_

_Gai's eyes went wide with shock, but his expression soon turned into a very toothy grin. "Alright," he yelled, pumping his fist into the air, "I have been away from Konoha so long; I cannot wait to go back and renew old rivalries. Hopefully, we will finally be able to settle the old score," shooting Kakashi a malicious smile. _

_Kakashi's attention diverted from Gai to the sound of an ANBU calling for him. He waved him over. He quickly approached Kakashi, bowing slightly. Kakashi bowed back and the ANBU finally went into his report. "One of the patrols found something suspicious to the north, near Mt. Dao,"_

"_That's pretty close to Thunder Capitol," replied Kakashi, "what was the patrol doing out so far, and what exactly did you see."_

"_We saw something odd," continued the ANBU, "looked like a single black figure in the distance, like a big cloak, but the snow picked up and we lost sight of it. It was a person of some sort, and we figured it was a member of one of the Hidden Cloud patrols. We traced the area, but we had to return, the weather around that area is horrid for vision and tracking. We figured Obito might have a better time at it," nodding in the direction of the nin._

_Obito nodded at the nin, subconsciously tapping the goggles around his eyes. "The Sharingan should be able to catch anything you may have missed."_

"_Thank you for reporting in," said Kakashi sternly, "I'll check it out now. Obito, Tiara, Gai, you come with me. Tell the rest of the camp to continue with the operation, and keep monitoring that signal from HQ; I want updates on this peace treaty." _

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_Kakashi, Obito, Tiara, and Gai, swept through the trees, barely leaving any trace of their steps save for a light snow that shuffled to the ground from their weight on the branches. Obito took point position, followed by Kakashi, with Tiara and Gai covering the rear. They were traveling quickly now, Kakashi continually prodding them forward so that they appeared more akin to blurs to the naked eye. Obito suddenly waved Kakashi forward to point. Kakashi quickly stepped up his pace, bounding off branches quickly._

"_What is it," he asked sternly, a sense of urgency in his voice._

"_Nothing really," said Obito, a playful smirk on his face, "Just wondering when you're going to tell her."_

_Kakashi stared dumbfounded at his friend, so much so that he almost missed the next branch and had to bound off his hands to keep up pace. "What the hell are you talking about?" he said, his voice irritated, "This has nothing to do with the current mission."_

"_Oh come on," replied Obito, "It's probably just some shadow or piece of trash that the ANBU are spooked about; you know how paranoid they can be. At most, it's a lost civilian. I'm more concerned with where you're going with Tiara. After all, you do love her right?" He smiled at Kakashi, grinning very broadly. _

_Kakashi looked quickly back behind them, staring back into Tiara's eyes, but quickly bringing himself back to his senses. "Now is neither the time nor the place for this discussion," snapped Kakashi, "Take back point and only call me up if you have something meaningful to report."_

"_Alright, alright," sighed Obito, "anal as always." Kakashi took position behind Obito again as they made farther into the northern edge of the woods towards Thunder Capitol. He really had never been this close before, and his senses were alert for any signs of Hidden Cloud nins, but surprisingly, the woods were very quiet. His eyes drifted towards the tops of the trees, an eerie blackness covering them, storm clouds slowly brewing overhead._

'_Looks like rain,' thought Kakashi, 'this will make the search more difficult.' "Pick up the pace," he yelled out as the nin all trekked quickly forward. Finally, the trees began to slowly diminish as they made their way to the forest floor, finally coming to a snowy clearing. The wind was beginning to pick up, dusting the earth slightly and eliminating any blemish in the earth. Finally, they came to a stop at the very edge. Only a snowy oblivion greeted them, with drifts and peak resembling that of a white desert, as gigantic dunes loomed over them. _

"_This is the spot the ANBU was talking about," he said quietly, "What do you see Obito?"_

_Obito looked deeply into the drifts of snow, his dark eyes turning red, with a circular pupil with three dots in it replacing his normal eyes. He squinted slightly, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Nothing yet," he said, "Are you sure it's…wait, I do see something. Tracks, but they're very sparse. I can only tell because of a slight difference in the snow, but it's definitely there. We should follow up before nightfall, and before the wind covers this up." He looked towards Kakashi for approval and received a nod from his friend. _

"_Gai, Tiara, cover our flank. Obito, you're with me." They all nodded at their respective roles and slowly stepped away from the protective camouflage of the forest into a white spread. Kakashi eyed the area, looking carefully for any signs of the enemy. When he was finally satisfied, he waved his team forward, following along the tracks. The wind was picking up now, sending freezing air around them. It burned against Kakashi's exposed face as he followed Obito in an odd, midday darkness. He looked behind him to see the shapes of Gai and Tiara following close behind. Ice was beginning to form in his hair, freezing it into a permanent shape. Gai shook his head, attempting to free his hair from it's bonds. Suddenly, Kakashi stopped as Obito was looking intently at the ground. _

"_It stops here," he said, not believing his own words, "what the hell." They were looking at a particularly large drift, where Obito was looking straight down just before the tracks disappeared. "This can't be right. These tracks are fresh, like they were only made a few minutes beforehand. Where the-"_

"_Up there," yelled Gai as the entire crew looked to the peak of the drift. A large black mass was standing there, a long cape billowing in the wind. Kakashi squinted, quickly pulling a special kunai from his belt, a last gift from the Fourth. _

"_What do you see Obito," asked Kakashi, eyeing the shape strangely. Obito said nothing, but his jaw was dropped slightly, an almost panicked expression on his face. "Obito," said Kakashi, slightly louder. Still nothing. Finally, Kakashi placed a firm hand on Obito's shoulder, shaking him slightly. Obito finally snapped out of his trance and looked at his friend, fear seeming to fill his dark red eyes. _

"_Where'd it go," said Tiara. Kakashi's gaze drifted back to the mound only for it to be bare again, bearing no sign that it was disturbed. He squinted in the darkness, desperate for a clue as to what had just happened. _

"_What is it Obito," he said, shaking his friend again. Kakashi had never seen Obito in such a state before as his friend slowly turned to face him. _

"_Chakra," whispered Obito, the wind louder than his own voice, "It's like nothing I've ever seen before. It was just so…odd." Obito was visibly shaken, his normally lazy and lackadaisical expression replaced by a very solemn and almost fearful one. _

"_Kakashi," came Gai's voice. The wind was beginning to pick up quite a bit now, and it's whipping drowned out Gai's deep voice. "Should we pursue," he shouted._

_Kakashi looked back at Gai, and then to Obito. He looked back at the mound for some clue as the whereabouts of the shape, but none existed. It was as if it wasn't there in the first place. "No," replied Kakashi finally, "the wind's too strong, and I don't want us out here in the cold for an extended period of time. Let's head back to camp, there may be orders to return if this peace thing is true."_

"_Are you okay Obito," came Tiara's concerned voice. Obito was shaking slightly now, but manage a weak smile._

"_Yeah," he said quickly, "just a little…cold." They began to quickly trek back to the forest, Kakashi taking flank position this time. He stayed close to Obito, but continued to look over his shoulder, desperate for any sign of what his friend saw. The crunching of the snow under their feet was very soft, but slowly grew louder, and louder…_

Kakashi's eyes went wide as he came back to reality, realizing that the sound was coming from in front of him. He quickly jumped backwards, concealing himself behind a nearby tree. He gazed out from behind the tree as the sound of someone tromping through the snow grew louder. His eyes went wide as a black shape came slowly into view, a light wind billowing his cape slightly. He could feel the fear rushing through his body again, but kept his mind focused, his hand to a kunai on his belt. The figure came closer, and the outline grew to a tall shape covered in a black cloak. It stopped suddenly, his face concealed by a black shroud over him, but Kakashi knew who it was; the same feeling from that day was shooting through him now, a mixture of fear and anger pouring through him, giving him an odd mixture of both fury and a chilling horror.

'Hiketsu,' he thought, 'this can't be. It just can't, can it?' Kakashi continued to watch as the stranger brought a pale hand to his mouth from under the cloak. A long fingernailed hand went under the shroud as Kakashi heard a faint biting sound. His hand reemerged bloodied slightly, the dark crimson of the liquid flowing almost gel like down his hand. He streaked his now bloody thumb across his other hand and slapped the ground, summoning a small, black bird in a puff of smoke. The bird looked up at him calmly through red eyes as it perched itself on his outstretched finger. He brought his mouth towards the side of the bird's head, whispering something incoherent to it. Kakashi continued to watch, slowly pulling a kunai out of his belt while his other revealed the Sharingan on the left side of his face. Kakashi watched Hiketsu throw his arm into the air and send the bird flying to the north, past Thunder Capitol. Hiketsu stood very still now, watching the bird fly off into the distance, cawing loudly. Kakashi could feel his heart begin to race as Hiketsu slowly pulled the cloak from his head, a long, silvery ponytail wrapped in a red ribbon flowing down his back. His hair spiked and swayed in the wind, and a pair of dark, black sunglasses obscured his eyes.

"I know you're there," said Hiketsu, his dark, cold voice echoing through the forest sending chills down Kakashi's spine. "Your killer intent stands out like a beacon."

Kakashi flipped down to the forest floor, facing Hiketsu, ready for a battle. He bent his knees, ready to spring forward, but the thought of the day kept holding him back. His legs froze, and he began to panic slightly. _Blood rained down on them as a hand exploded from the body of a nearby ANBU. _His mind blasted panic throughout his nerves, demanding retreat. Kakashi's legs began to backpeddle slightly, still facing Hiketsu, who did not move an inch. _White globes pierced into his soul, sending a wave of fear that froze his body in place._ 'I need to get back,' he thought, the comprehension of his mind finally becoming aware again, 'I need to tell Gai, Tsunade, warn them of what's going on here.' He kept facing Hiketsu, but kept his legs moving, bounding lightly off the snow as Hiketsu stood frozen in place. He stared at his glasses, knowing that dead eyes floated behind them, unnaturally placed in his head. 'Go,' his mind demanded, 'go, go, GO, GO!'

Kakashi spun on his heel and charged in the opposite direction, sprinting as fast as possible, not daring to look behind him. The forest sped behind him, trees moving quickly all around him as his heart furiously pumped blood to his body to keep up an extreme pace. A maelstrom seemed to engulf him as he ran, blinding him slightly, his Sharingan keeping his reactions to their peak as he bounded off trees and limbs, sometimes leaving hard marks in them. He finally saw the gates of Thunder Capitol, emerging finally from the dark forest. He dared to look behind him, expecting to see Hiketsu behind him, ready to rip him to shreds. But there was nothing behind him, simply an empty and quiet forest of trees that seemed devoid of sound completely. Kakashi breathed heavily, the panic finally beginning to leave his body. 'I've got to tell Tsunade,' he thought, brining his senses back to focus, 'we're getting into more than I thought here.' He bounded back towards Thunder Capitol, heading near the bluffs to sneak in quietly.

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Naruto ran through the city streets, barely missing pedestrians going about their daily business. Lee and TenTen followed to the side, keeping their sights on the back gates of the city. Two nin were standing there as large groups of genins shuffled about anxiously waiting for the gates to be opened. Naruto smiled to himself as he picked up his pace, driving faster to the back gates that lead to Mt. Izou. When they were only about a hundred yards away, he broke into a brisk jog. "You both ready," asked Naruto, grinning broadly at his comrades.

"A man of power and youth is always ready," replied Lee, saluting Naruto slightly while flashing him a very broad smile. TenTen simply shook her head at both of them, chuckling under her breath.

They finally came to the back gates as the two nin guarding them, opened them wide, revealing a heavily misted area. Naruto watched, his eyes darting through the crowd, recognizing his other genin comrades, but resting upon Sasuke, who was accompanied by a group of sound nins Naruto had never seen before. They were very odd looking, and were eyeing the Leafs with a contempt look on their faces. Naruto followed the crowd, emerging last as the giant doors closed behind them, creaking slightly before slamming shut hard, reverberating a loud thud through the air. They were now separated from the city completely, and Naruto could feel his heart race with anticipation, wondering exactly what this first test would be. They continued to walk on until they came to a very odd mountain.

The mist cleared suddenly in front of them and they stared at what appeared to be a completely flat, granite wall. All of the genins' necks craned upwards to stare at a large wall of clouds above them. The wall seemed to extend up forever, going on well past the clouds in the sky; there wasn't a single blemish on it, but merely a flat surface that extended into the heavens. 'What is this thing,' thought Naruto.

"Welcome," came a booming voice from in front of them as a Hidden Cloud nin stepped out in front of the group. "to your first test." His hand slowly came upwards, motioning towards the wall.

"This is Mt. Izou…"


	23. Part 41: The Hard Way Up

Part 4.1: The Hard Way Up

Naruto stared wide-eyed at the gigantic mountain that stood ominously before him as clouds danced in front of his eyes, obscuring the mountain's actual height. Lee and TenTen wore a similar expression on their faces, looking gapingly at the enormous, flat, granite wall. 'I guess,' thought Naruto, squinting slightly, "we're supposed to-"

"Climb it," said the Hidden Cloud nin. "Your first test is to climb this particular peak all the way to the top within a twenty-four hour period of time. You'll notice it's completely flat. This was done as a defensive measure by the first and second Raikages, and the Hidden Cloud maintains it's flatness to this day. You see, Hidden Cloud lies at its highest peak, separate from Thunder Capitol. It is there that the rest of the exam will take place. Although you've been given twenty-four hours, a good Chuunin can do it in half that time, but this will weed out at least the weakest of the group. Secondly, you must complete this in your three to four man teams. If one team member does not complete it, then the entire team fails. Thirdly, stay in the boundaries of Mt. Izou. If you get beyond a certain point, you will be disqualified and promptly knocked off. Any questions?"

"What if we encounter another nin on the mountain," came a voice to Naruto's right.

The Hidden Cloud nin simply shrugged his shoulders, smiling slightly. "Use your own discretion. If you feel the need to knock someone off the cliff, by all means go ahead. Besides the first three rules, anything else goes. Climb the cliff how you like, though with proper chakra control, this shouldn't be that much of a problem. Any other questions?"

A few distraught murmurs went through the crowd, but no one else said anything. Naruto's eyes screwed in determination, the adrenaline rushing through his body now. 'This doesn't seem particularly hard,' thought Naruto, 'we'll make record time.' He looked over to his comrades for reassurance. TenTen wore the same face as Naruto, but Naruto was taken aback by how apprehensive Lee looked. He stared at the mountain with a slightly embarrassed expression on his face, scratching the back of his neck quickly with his hand. His eyes drifted over to Naruto, and he quickly resumed a very determined face, blazes forming in his eyes.

"Alright," said the Cloud nin loudly, "Choose your spot, and it would be wise to spread out. The mountain's pretty wide so there should be adequate room for all of you. You have five minutes to choose a spot to begin climbing. When I signal, and you'll know when I do, you may begin. If you start before I signal, you will be disqualified. Alright, find your places." With that, the group began to dissolve, as teams of three and four genins moved around the base of the cliff, finding suitable spots. Naruto looked forward for signs of where Sasuke was starting, hoping to confront his rival early. Suddenly, he felt a gentle tug on his orange jacket. He spun around quickly, ready to defend an attack only to find Hinata standing nervously in front of him.

"Oh Hinata," said Naruto, obviously perplexed, "what's up?"

"N-Nothing," she stammered again, "just…good luck."

Naruto smiled broadly, "A great ninja like me does not need luck but thanks." Hinata blushed slightly as Naruto surveyed the rest of her team. Kiba looked very fired up, Akamaru barking wildly on his head, and Shino seemed stoic as usual. However, their team had an extra addition to it, as Neji was partnered with them as well, looking at his teammates with a slightly contempt look.

Naruto watched them go as Neji approached him. "I'm looking forward to facing off against you again," said Neji, "I won't be so careless this time."

Naruto shot him a wicked grin, "We'll see about that," he said maliciously.

"Oh and Lee," continued Neji, his pearly eyes drifting over to behind Naruto, "I wouldn't worry too much; I think these two can carry you easily."

"I DON'T NEED HELP," shouted Lee, his teeth bared, growling slightly at Neji's comment. Neji chuckled at him before walking off to join his team. Lee was still shaking in rage from Neji's comment. Naruto stared at him, a confused expression on his face.

"What is he talking about thickbrows," asked Naruto. Lee broke out of his angered expression and faced Naruto, looking slightly embarrassed again, his eyes drifting towards the ground.

"Lee can't mold chakra well," said TenTen, "he won't be able to walk up the mountain like they suggested. He'll have to climb it normally." Naruto stared in amazement; he knew that Thickbrows was not proficient in any jutsus, but it hadn't occurred to him that molding chakra was something he couldn't do either. Lee's fury built back up to the surface, his eye burning with determination.

"It doesn't matter," yelled Lee, pumping his fist into the air, "I am the Amazing Azure Beast, nothing will get in my way. And I will complete this entire exam flawlessly. Now, let's go!" going into his usual nice guy pose, his teeth reflecting light despite the absence of it.

Naruto smiled apprehensively at his comrade, but a nagging doubt was implanted in his mind now. He had never considered Lee's inability to do any jutsus a burden, but in this test, it was a huge factor. The instructor hadn't been clear on how high the mountain went up, and if they had to take care of Lee, time would definitely be lost. Naruto sighed slightly as he followed Lee and TenTen to a particularly wide area of the mountain. No teams were seen on either side of them as the mist obscured their view completely. Lee jumped back and forth nervously and TenTen pulled a few stringed kunai from her belt. Naruto looked around, attempting to find any signs of Sasuke or any of the Leaf nins. Suddenly, a bright light surged through the air as Naruto squinted at it, covering his eyes slightly.

"That's the signal," said TenTen, "let's go."

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The Raikage walked on through the walls of the hospital, his footsteps echoing loudly off the polished, tile floor as doctors and nurses bowed humbly out of his way. His eyes drifted from left to right, smiling warmly at the employees of the area, even stopping to compliment a few on working so hard to maintain the sick despite the tragedies that had befallen it. Inwardly he felt no calm or peace, just an odd anticipation. He would meet with Tsunade later on today, and he was anxious to see the first wheels of the operation begin to turn. Not only that, the test was beginning, and Julius and Set would have to play their respective parts to a tee, and it was unsettling to rely on the two of them. He sighed deeply, hoping to relieve some of the pressure he felt on himself, but he continued on towards his destination.

Finally, he came to the end of the hall to a closed door. 'This is it,' he thought. He reached for the handle only for the door to be quickly opened, revealing an ANBU the Raikage recognized as Karima Kimiko.

"R-Raikage-sama," she said, bowing deeply to him before closing the door slowly behind her. Her face showed a mixture of surprise and concern, her words coming out very stuttered and broken. The Raikage merely smiled warmly and returned the gesture, bowing deeply to Kimiko.

"Hello Ms. Karima," said the Raikage, his voice calm with a very cordial tone to it, "I was hoping to speak to Raan, is he awake?"

"Y-Yes," she stuttered again, her eyes darting from the floor to the walls, not daring to meet his own. "Umm…Raikage-sama…I actually wanted to speak to you about something."

"Oh," said the Raikage in mock surprise, "what is it? My doors are always open to my citizens and nin."

"Well, it's just…" she seemed shuffling through her mind for the appropriate words, evidently caught off guard by his own presence. She then pulled a crude drawing from her belt and handed it to the Raikage. He raised an eyebrow, a perplexed expression on his face. He took the paper and unfurled it, revealing what appeared to be a very bad drawing of Raan and… Legitimate surprise hit the Raikage this time, his eyes going slightly wider, and his heart beat quickening slightly. He quickly regained his composure and stared in a fake, dumbfounded way.

"What is this," he asked, determined to keep his voice steady and calm.

"Well," continued Kimiko, looking directly at the Raikage now, a determination returning to her ocean blue eyes, "I believe the top most drawing to be a replica of the assailant responsible for the destruction of Daibuken. The survivor, Megumi was her name, drew this not too long ago. She said that this was the 'bad man' who took her mommy and daddy away. I believe this may be the best lead we have on this man as his dress and certain facial features seem to stick out. The eyes especially seem very odd, and even though the face just seems to resemble a monster's, the eyes seem to distinct to be a simple child's decoration. I know I may be grasping at straws, but…I want to investigate this further. And to do that, I would request ANBU assistance and your own help in finding this individual." She bowed again, lowering her head so that she was looking at the floor, waiting patiently for the Raikage's answer.

It was the Raikage's turn to be speechless now. 'Set,' he thought, 'this complicates things. The clothes and eyes must have been the only things this little girl saw, but that certainly is enough. "Have you shown this to anyone else," he asked. Kimiko shook her still bowed head. "Alright," said the Raikage, "I'm going to share with you information that I haven't told anyone yet." He motioned for her to follow him into one of the empty rooms, which she did quickly. He closed and locked the door behind him, even going as far to pull the blinds down so that the room was almost pitch black. He waited a few moments, ensuring that the room was perfectly sound proof.

"I have been suspecting something for some time," started the Raikage, his voice turning very dark, "I believe these attacks are not mere coincidence. I'm beginning to think they are part of something larger going on around us; possibly a splinter organization within Thunder Country. I have investigated it personally for some time, but have not had sufficient time with the upcoming exams, but I agree with you fully, these events need to be investigated. So these are my orders for you." Kimiko rose straight backed, in a military salute, her eyes staring into the Raikage's. "I will allow for you to take an ANBU squad with you to reinvestigate the town of Daibuken, but tell no one of this and leave tonight, arrive at the town by nightfall. I fear that we may be watched from the inside, and I want absolute precautions taken here. This mission is of the utmost importance, and I want this completed before the Chuunin exams are completed. And one last thing, be safe and take precautions, I don't want this to get out of hand. As for the mystery assailant, I'll see what I can do here, but I think you'll have better luck at the towns that he has supposedly attacked in. Do you accept?"

"Yes Raikage-sama," replied Kimiko, her voice very strong, "Thank you Raikage-sama. And for the record, I hope that you're wrong, and that we're all just being paranoid."

The Raikage smiled slightly and placed a reassuring hand on Kimiko's shoulder. "So do I," he said, acting flawlessly with concern, "so do I. Now, I suggest you get ready to leave, and give Raan your regards before you leave," he added smiling broadly.

Kimiko blushed slightly, but bowed deeply to the Raikage before exiting the room. The Raikage's face quickly changed to a scowl, staring back at the crude drawing before him. 'Dammit Set,' he thought, 'you're making this far too bloody. Now I have another one to silence." He stared back through the open door, watching Kimiko enter the room slowly, ready to say goodbye to Raan for the last time. He performed a small seal, and the picture burst into flames, burning to ashes in his hand, causing slight welts on his already scarred skin. He reformed his face into concern within the darkness of the room, wondering exactly what other unexpected occurrences would take place in this examination. He slowly pulled a small communicator from beneath his robes and spoke softly into it.

"Did you get all that," he whispered into it, when he knew Kimiko was out of earshot.

"Yeah," came a gruff voice from the other end, "I'm assuming you want her taken care of."

"Yes," replied the Raikage, "make it look like Set's work; I don't want multiple suspects involved in this."

"Bah," the voice came back, annoyed, "I don't see why we need those two lunatics. We would be better off just killing them and going about our business without them."

"I sacrificed much for those 'lunatics'," replied the Raikage darkly, "They will be valuable assets, and I don't want them found out so early. And don't get too cocky, she graduated top of her class, and there's a reason she's the best ANBU of the Hidden Cloud."

"Understood," replied the voice begrudgingly.

"Take her out when she gets to the village, and the ANBU with her. Leave no one alive."

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Kimiko stroked a now conscious Raan's hair out of his eyes. "You know I'm not helpless," he said playfully, still feeling the aftereffects of Set's continually beatings from his sickbed, "I can move around."

Kimiko chuckled at him and gave him a slight peck on the cheek. "I'll be away for a little while," she said, almost regretting her words, "but don't worry, I'll be back in a few days. I've just got to check something out. Espionage and investigation; your job," she added, smiling brightly at Raan.

"Well don't make me obsolete," he chuckled, eliciting a small laugh from Kimiko. She looked down at him, an almost sad expression in her deep blue eyes. Her lips embraced Raan's tightly for a few seconds, as Raan took his time with the euphoric experience. Finally, she reluctantly pulled away and headed towards the door, opening it to reveal the massive figure of the Raikage, smiling broadly. She bowed quickly to him once more before leaving the room. Raan stared at the Raikage as he slowly walked into the room, his heavy footsteps echoing off the hard tile floor.

"How are you feeling," he said with a concerned tone in his voice as he closed the door behind him.

"Fine," replied Raan, wishing more than anything that Kimiko were still here instead of the bastard in front of him.

"Good, good," the Raikage went over to the open window blinds which shot a pale light onto the room's floor, illuminating it. He quickly pulled them shut and turned on his heel, staring at Raan again. A very stern, almost furious look was plastered on his face. "Have you told anyone about Julius or Set?"

"No," replied Raan, just as furious, "I know the consequences for something like that. Why?"

"Nothing," the Raikage trailed again. He paced back and forth in front of Raan's bed. "How's the little girl?"

"She's getting better. She's talking freely now; even seems happy at times." There was an odd silence between them, the Raikage pacing back and forth in a straight line, with every step seeming to fuel a fire Raan felt in his chest.

"You sent Julius and Set to destroy her village didn't you," he finally said, the words coming out very harsh. The Raikage turned on his heel, standing stock still. His dark eyes pierced through Raan.

"That should be obvious," he said coolly, "They were becoming a nuisance, and I have no time to deal with such irritations. However, I did not come here today to hear your accusations against me. Tomorrow, I need you to go to Hidden Cloud, specifically the proving grounds of the Coliseum. You will be refereeing the first round of the end matches."

"Why me?" asked Raan indignantly, "Can't you get one of your lackeys to do something like that?"

The Raikage looked at him fiercely, almost ready to attack Raan. "I need someone who will ignore the…'styles' of Julius and Set, especially Set. You know how he can get sometimes."

"Intimately," replied Raan darkly, rubbing his cracked ribs, "I don't know what you expect; they don't listen to me anymore, in fact they never did."

"I don't care what you think," replied the Raikage, "your job is to follow my orders and follow them you shall. Now I am signing your release papers tomorrow, be sure you can walk by then. Much is riding on your shoulders Raan, including the lives of those you love. Do not fail me." The Raikage then swept out of the room, his long cloak billowing behind him, as he opened and quickly slammed the door leaving Raan alone in the dark room.

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The stone chipped away in large chunks as a kunai was driven fiercely into the flat stone of Mt. Izou. Rock Lee pulled himself up a smaller ways, pushing himself up with his legs as well before driving the second one into the mountain's side, a loud crack reverberating through the air. Naruto sighed deeply as he walked on in front of Lee, their team moving on a snail's pace. His hair drooped slightly, and his body felt disoriented standing on the side of a mountain, but he kept his chakra flow constant, not allowing gravity to overwhelm him. His feet stuck firm to the mountain's side, and remained there as he walked on, watching Lee struggle to climb up Mt. Izou, his breathing turning into a rhythmic grunting with every strike into the flat, granite side. TenTen was ahead of him, a rope tied between Lee and herself, which Lee had been practically forced into, his pride no doubt taking a huge blow from that experience. Naruto merely shook his head, watching Lee struggle with something that even for him seemed such a simple task.

They had been climbing for at least three hours now, and the ground was no longer recognizable as thick clouds obscured their vision except for about ten meters. Thick, white fog surrounded them, whipping around them quickly with the wind, which had been picking up for some time now. They still had not encountered any nins, nor could they see how close they were to reaching their destination. Lee was beginning to pick up his pace, driving the kunai faster and harder into the granite stone, sensing Naruto's impatience. Naruto smiled slightly, but his mind was elsewhere. He reached out with his senses, trying to divine exactly where everyone was, but he could feel nothing.

"Maybe I should go on ahead," he said, breaking usual cacophony of noises, "see exactly how far we are to the top."

"I don't think we should split up," came Lee's grunting voice, "after all, we have to finish this as a team."

"I agree with Lee," chimed in TenTen, "we don't know how far we have to go, nor do we know if any other nins are nearby, and no offense Lee, but you're not going to be much help in a fight right now."

Lee shot TenTen and dirty look, but continued on with his climb. Naruto just sighed impatiently, anxiously awaiting a confrontation with Sasuke. Still, there were a few things nagging at him now, and he was grateful for the quiet at this point in time. He looked at his hand, concentrating hard on the three marks still on his hand. 'What was that pervert talking about anyway,' thought Naruto, 'The first time he did this, it was meant as a concentration exercise, so that I would focus all of my chakra around one point. What did he mean by-" He jerked his head back into focus, looking up towards the mountain, a familiar feeling hitting his mind back to reality. He squinted his eyes into the white mist, hoping to see a solid shape amidst the amorphous mass that swirled and churned around them. His brow furrowed slightly, and he could feel the adrenaline begin to shoot through his body, anticipating an attack.

"What is it Naruto," asked TenTen, noticing his obvious change in character.

"There's something up ahead," said Naruto. He reached outward with his senses unsure as to what was ahead of him. TenTen readied herself for battle as well, her eyes shifting in the mist as she pulled a few shuriken from a pouch on her belt. Lee drove his kunai harder into the granite wall and pulled himself so that his feet were against the mountain. Naruto shifted about nervously, his eyes betraying him as different silhouettes moved in the mist. His heart raced, and he could feel the red chakra begin to flow steadily through his system, slowly oozing through him.

Suddenly, a shape burst forth from clouds in front of him. It was cackling loudly, running full sprint towards him; its back slightly hunched, pushing a very rat-like face forward. Suddenly, the head stretched out from the body, the skin making a sickly rubber sound as the face drove itself towards Naruto revealing needle-sharp teeth. Naruto rose his arm to block, only for the face to drive it's teeth into the outstretch arm as a sick piercing sound cut through the air, blood flowing freely and falling in droplets down the mountainside. Naruto winced in pain and brought his kunai forward, ready to stab the ugly looking creature in the neck. The head quickly retracted to the body as Naruto swung at air. He held his now bleeding arm, watching the puncture wounds issue forth blood that dribbled down his sleeve only to fall into empty air, back towards the earth. Naruto gritted his teeth with fury, watching the creature cackled madly.

"Naruto," came Lee's concerned voice. His eyes quickly darted to the nin, a slightly perplexed expression on his face. "Don't I know you?"

The nin's face quickly changed to a scowl, but then quickly turned back to Naruto. "Uchiha Sasuke sends his regards," he said mockingly. He then turned on his heel and drove himself back into the mist.

Naruto's eyes widened in fury; his arm began to issue steam from it as the puncture wounds healed almost instantaneously. The Kyuubi's chakra was flowing quickly through his body now, striking every organ and cell with a surge of power, stemming from his rage. He could feel his body begin to transform again, fangs beginning to form, his hair growing longer, and claws forming on his hands.

**"He doesn't even respect you enough to come himself. He sends lackeys to fight you, and why should he believe otherwise? He sees you as pathetic, and you have shown him nothing else but weakness. It's time now to show him what you're really made of. It's time to release any restraints, any boundaries, and show your true nature." **

"…"

**"Yes. I can feel it now your rage and eternal anger. Now show them, what you're really made of." **

"Naruto," came a concerned voice, "are you alright?"

Naruto could not register anything now. His mind was focused, determined, his anger seeming to physically burn his insides. He let out an unearthly growl and ran into the mist in pursuit of his assailant, breaking the ground underneath him with every step he took. The entire mountain vibrated as he charged after the unknown nin, the mist seeming to quickly move out of his way, everything avoiding contact with Naruto as he charged full force up the mountain, Lee and TenTen's pleas reaching only a deaf ear. He finally caught up with the odd looking nin. He stretched his clawed arms forward, ready to rip the mongrel to shreds. The nin looked behind him at Naruto, fear in his eyes as he ran faster. Naruto could feel the terror in the air, seeming to reverberate through the air, giving him an odd vindictive pleasure. Suddenly, the nin's look of horror turned to one of triumph.

"Now Garuda," he shouted, as he lept to the side, revealing a tall, bald and very lanky nin. The nin quickly moved his hand up to his mouth, on which a forehead protector bearing the symbol of the Hidden Sound lay. He pulled it down to his neck and opened his mouth wide, letting out an unearthly, shrill shriek that seemed bounce off the air, amplifying itself ten fold. The sound pierced through Naruto's skull, as if needles were ramming themselves into his brain, splitting it into pieces. He desperately covered his ears to dull the cacophony that filled the air, but the sound seemed only to grow louder, vibrating every fiber of his being. He stopped quickly, regathering the chakra at his feet as his senses went into oblivion, his vision blurring, his ears pounding against his head, and an odd taste of copper seemed to permeate on his tongue, but he kept his ground. He charged at the nin now, readying to shut the sound up permanently, attempting to concentrate on the now blurry target. Without warning, another nin appeared in front of the tall one, his one with an odd looking pompadour hairstyle and strange, metal bands on his arms. He clanged the metal together and caught Naruto by the chest, his fingers digging deep into the skin. Naruto's eyes went wide as a massive shockwave went through his body, sending him backwards towards the ground. It was too much for his brain to focus, and he slipped into sweet darkness, feeling the wind beneath his back, knowing that the cold earth would be coming back up to greet him.

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Shiaki watched as Naruto's limp body plummeted back towards the earth, disappearing into the mist as he scattered the clouds on his way down, the air whistling behind him. "Bye, Bye," cackled Shiaki, waving mockingly at the prone nin. Zeumon and Garuda watched next to him, transfixed with the spot his body once laid.

"Well that's that," said Zeumon in a satisfied tone, dusting the dirt off his hands.

"I don't think so," came Garuda's robotic voice, eliciting an surprised expression from his companions, "He may be unconscious for another few seconds or so, and Orochimaru-sama said the guy heals fast. I want to be absolutely sure before we return to Orochimaru-sama with another failure on our hands. Let's make sure he's taken care of."

Zeumon nodded in agreement, "Good idea," he said, "Otokage-sama said he wanted proof of his demise."

"A few scattered entrails and body parts should account for that," shrieked Shiaki, laughing madly, sending shudders through his small, skinny frame.

"Let's make sure it lands properly then," said Zeumon with a smile. The trio then descended down the mountain rapidly, trying to catch up to Naruto's prone body.

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Naruto felt the wind whip wildly around him, rustling his clothes loudly as he slowly opened his eyes. His head felt like someone had cleaved it in two, and he still felt a residual pain throughout his body that shook him madly. 'What the hell,' he thought, confused over the feeling of falling. Suddenly, his mind snapped back to reality, as his eyes went wide, tearing in the hard wind that was enveloping him as he plummeted downward. His mind raced, waves of panic washing over his body as his mind desperately searched for a solution. He had fallen to far from the mountain to grab a hold of the flat surface, and could only watch as he felt his body falling faster and faster back to earth.

'Wait,' he thought. A light had gone off in his head as he moved his hands quickly together. He made a crossing seal with his hands, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," he shouted as several clones appeared around him. "Everybody," he shouted quickly, the wind deafening him now, "Human chain," the clones nodded in agreement as the closest one grabbed Naruto's ankles, followed by the next, followed by seven more as they climbed over a long, ladder of Narutos. Finally, they were a yard from the wall as a last clone wrapped its legs around the last, outstretching its hands and creating chakra to stick to the wall. Naruto watched anxiously as the clone forced his hands onto the wall, scraping the granite hard, sending a high pitched squealing sound in the air. The smell of burnt flesh permeated through his nostrils as Naruto turned his head away to look down. The ground could be seen now, and a white blanket was waiting to embrace him. He looked back towards the wall; they were slowing down now, the clone gritting its teeth in exasperation, but the chain began to make a slow arc towards the mountain. Naruto let out a breath of relief as the Narutos began to win their fight against gravity. Naruto risked a glance towards the ground as the minor features of the earth began to show themselves. He felt his heart begin to slow, and his mind form back from the pieces it had been split to.

Suddenly, an ominous pop happened at the end of the chain. Naruto checked back to see a puff of smoke where the final clone had been moments before. They began to pick up speed again, still far off from the earth below. Naruto detached himself from his clones, running over the chain towards the mountain, desperately sprinting towards it. The chain was slowly moving away now, and Naruto's mind was still foggy from the previous attack. He jumped towards the mountain, arms outstretch as the clones exploded behind him into white puffs of smoke. He sailed through the air, the mountain slowly coming closer to him; his eyes not even daring to look down at the ground below him. He clawed for the wall, arms outstretched. Suddenly, gravity took hold of him again, dragging him back down towards the ground. Naruto's heart raced as his body fell quickly back to earth.

A loud screech pierced through the air above Naruto. He looked up to see a green blur streaking towards him, a trail of debris and smoke traveling behind him. The blur slowed down dramatically near Naruto as Lee shot out an outstretched hand, which Naruto grabbed onto tightly. Lee gritted his teeth as he dug a kunai into the mountain's side, desperately trying to slow their descent. Naruto dragged his feet against the stone wall, adding to Lee's friction, their combined forces bringing them finally to a stop. Naruto looked down to see only a few meters separating them from the ground below, as they both let out a sigh of relief simultaneously. "What were you thinking Naruto," lectured Lee, still breathing hard; Naruto could feel his heart racing through the palm of his hand. Lee released him and he fell back to the snow, his boots making a loud his on the cold surface. Lee jumped down to join him, holding himself up with his hands on his knees. "You shouldn't have taken off without backup," scolded Lee, "I know you're strong Naruto, but it couldn't have hurt to have your comrades with you."

Naruto's eyes drifted to the snow. He knew Lee was right, but at the moment, nothing seemed to matter but pummeling that odd sound nin to oblivion. He felt a small pang of guilt in his chest, remembering how Gai had lectured him on controlling his emotions, and he was starting to let the lessons sink in. "Sorry," Naruto said solemnly, "I just…"

"I know," interrupted Lee, another trademark grin plastered on his face. "Well, looks like we've got some serious ground to recover, so we'd better not dwell on past matters," he said, quickly changing the subject. He looked at the kunai in his hand; it was worn down to nothing, only a slight nub existing where the blade once was. Lee sighed slightly and threw the kunai aside, looking at the ominous wall again. He rubbed his hands together quickly before ramming a closed fist into the wall, wincing at the pain. He placed his foot in the hold and pushed himself up, digging his fingers painfully into the stone, making only foot by foot progress.

"Lee, Naruto," came TenTen's voice from above them, "are you two alright?" She appeared after a few seconds, running rapidly down the mountain, visibly sighing with relief over their safety. However, her expression quickly became enraged as soon as she caught up with them. "What are you two thinking," she yelled, "You both can be such idiots sometimes, running off without even taking a moment's thought!"

Lee and Naruto both laughed nervously, and there was silence amongst the group. "Well let's go," said Naruto finally, remolding the chakra at his feet and walking back up the mountain. TenTen retied the rope around herself and handed it to Lee, who refused to take it this time, insisting that he could climb the mountain on his own. "Weren't you the one who said we're comrades?" said Naruto, smiling widely, "shouldn't we help each other then?"

Lee shot Naruto a dirty look, but then quickly turned to smile. "I see your point," said Lee, laughing slightly, "The Great Azure Beast would not want to be a hypocrite."

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Garuda watched Naruto's team slowly made it's way back up the mountain. He turned on his heel and headed back towards his comrades, who were waiting anxiously. "He's not dead," came Garuda's robotic voice, "the drunkard saved him."

Shiaki shook with fury, baring his teeth and shaking his balled up fists. "I hate that bastard," he said under his breath, "hate, hate, hate him."

"Calm down," came Zeumon's voice, brushing his fingers absentmindedly through his hair, wavering as gravity pulled against it. "We'll just have to try again. There's plenty of time for another round. We'll wait until they get up a bit further before we strike again."

"We could use Sasuke's help on this," said Garuda, "I'm sure we could still catch up to him even if he did want to go alone."

"I don't need that arrogant bastard's help," said Zeumon maliciously, his eyes staring daggers into Garuda, "Orochimaru-sama favors him, while we're treated like trash, and he doesn't even respect Orochimaru-sama when he should be down on his knees thanking him for all he's done. No, we'll do this on our own, and show Orochimaru-sama that we are truly worthy of the power he has bestowed upon us."

Zeumon then nodded his head back up the mountain, motioning for Garuda and Shiaki to follow. They raced through the white mist, back up the mountain side, preparing to attack Naruto once again.


	24. Part 42: Taking Center Stage

Part 4.2: Taking Center Stage

Naruto, Lee, and TenTen were now making their way quickly up the mountain, desperate to make up for lost time. The day was beginning to wear thin, and the usually white clouds were now turning a dark grey, and they knew their visibility would be shot completely at night. Small white flakes fell from the sky, signifying a snowfall was beginning to start on the mountain. The wind whipped the snowfall into a small whirlwind that leapt about the mountain until it exited through the dark, grey clouds that surrounded them like great, whispy walls, obscuring everything from view. A loud crack from below him brought his attention back to reality as he turned his head to see Lee catching up to them quickly, a long rope connecting the three man team. Naruto looked below him as Lee drove his kunai harder and harder into the granite, keeping with their pace. Naruto smiled as he watched his friend move at a fervent tempo, desperate to not slow them down. TenTen was driving herself forward as well, jogging slightly as Lee furiously attempted to keep the rope from going taut on either of them. Naruto kept up the speed, but slowed down suddenly, peering farther into the heavy mist, his heart beginning to race as he believed he saw Sasuke. However, the clouds had fooled him again, and the shapes were beginning to change.

"No need to stop Naruto," yelled Lee, his breath heavy under the quick pace with which he had to climb. Naruto looked to his right and saw Lee had caught up with them quickly, a definite slack occurring in the rope Naruto had attached to himself around his waste. It was an odd sight, where Lee looked like he was crawling along the ground. A trail of broken stone lay under him, marking his path up the mountain. Naruto gave him a mock salute and continued up through the clouds, regaining his lost ground. There would be no opportunity to rest here, no time to sleep or eat, and this climb could not fail again. He kept his mind open for any signs of the sound nins that attacked earlier, searching out with his senses for any indication of the trio.

Naruto's thoughts wondered again, but he maintained a velocity. So many events had been swirling and spiraling around him in such a short period of time, yet the only thing that he could think about was Sasuke. _Uchiha Sasuke sends his regards_. Those words cut Naruto deep, and he had lost focus again. He closed his eyes slightly, not wanting to think about losing control. 'What did those bastards want anyway,' thought Naruto, 'were they working under Sasuke? No, he would confront me directly if that was the case. Still, I'd better keep an eye-"

His thoughts were cut off by a hard tug on the rope attached to him from Lee causing Naruto to almost lose his balance as he staggered against Lee's pull. Naruto and TenTen both looked down to see Lee had stopped and was waving them both down. They exchanged perplexed looks as they slid against the mountain's surface, allowing gravity to pull them back to Lee's position. Lee was intently examining a particular spot on the mountain, hanging from one kunai, his round eyes screwed in concentration.

"What's up-," asked TenTen as Lee quickly placed a hand over her mouth, cutting off anything else she had to say. Lee nodded his head in the direction of the cliff, and the two genin looked at an odd spot on it. It was circular, and looked like something had impacted it, but not broken the stone. It was still smooth, but look discolored from the rest of the mountain, like an imploded blemish.

"This has been replaced," said Lee, rubbing his free hand over the smooth rock, causing the stone to flake and fall away out over the side of the cliff, "somebody wanted to cover their tracks." He removed his eyes from the stone and looked at Naruto and TenTen. "What did these nin look like that attacked you Naruto?"

Naruto rubbed his chin, concentrating hard on the few moments before he blacked out. "Well," he started, "you all saw the one that came out at me. He looked like a large, hunched rat with red hair. The other two, one was really skinny, tall, with a bald head. The last one had these weird, metal things on his arms and a black, weird haircut."

"I see," said Lee, "I think I've met these nin before. The images are a little…fuzzy…but I think Kiba, Shino, and I got into a scuffle with them a day ago. Shino gave me the details before when we came here. He said to watch out for them. The rat one's named Shiaki, the skinny one Garuda, and the one with the weird armbands is called Zeumon, thought I still don't remember that. I don't know why they're after you though; have you ever met these nins before?"

Naruto shrugged, "No," he said, his voice low, an anxious feeling flowing through his body as he looked for signs of the nins, "They said they were sent by Sasuke, but I don't believe that. Sasuke would come at me directly if he wanted a fight." His emotions were flaring again at just the mention of his name, but he kept control, breathing deeply, slowly calming his tension.

"We need to be prepared for an ambush then," said TenTen. Lee and Naruto nodded in agreement, Lee still hanging from a single kunai in midair.

"So what do we do," asked Lee under his breath, "We can't wait long; we don't have that much time. We need to continue up the mountain and finish them off as fast as possible."

There was a very heavy silence between them now, none of the nin knowing the answer to Lee's question. Naruto's mind raced, desperate for some answer to the dilemma. He closed his eyes, thinking hard, clearing his mind as best he could. The sky was growing darker and darker, and time felt like it was slipping through his fingers. 24 hours had seemed like so much time until this obstacle had presented itself. If only they had something…something…"

Naruto opened his eyes wide, a smirk growing across his face. "I've got an idea," he said quickly, smiling broadly, impressed with his own genius.

"You," asked TenTen sarcastically.

"I have ideas," said Naruto indignantly, staring bullets through TenTen "I can make plans." Lee gave TenTen a nudge to the shoulder and then turned back to Naruto.

"What's your idea," asked Lee.

Naruto walked cautiously through the dark mist that was now engulfing them, dimming their visibility up the mountain to nothing. He could still feel a slight tug on the rope around his waist, signifying that Lee was still there. He looked over to TenTen, who bore a similar expression of foreboding on her face, her eyes squinting at the shadows against the granite wall. Naruto dared not look behind them at Lee, but continued to plod forward, his eyes straight ahead.

The sky was turning very black, and snow was beginning to drift heavily down through the clouds on top of them. A small wind whistled past their ears, sending chills down Naruto's spine. They were close; he could feel it. Every one of his senses was on alert, his eyes drifting from left to right, quickly trying to discern shapes and shadows on the mountain. He closed his eyes for a moment, attempting to discern any sounds, but besides their own heavy breathing and the light sound of the wind, nothing unusual was heard. He could feel his muscles tense with every step, his heart beating fast, preparing for the inevitable attack that would come, but they continued on, not wanting to waste time.

Suddenly, a few flakes of granite hit his face as the whispered sound of cracking stone was heard above them. He blinked the stone out of his eyes as he felt a shooting wave of electricity surge through his body. They stopped completely, readying themselves for an attack. A chill went down his spine, and Naruto knew that they would be attacking soon.

The dark, grey wisps ahead of them suddenly parted open to reveal a cackling Shiaki bearing down on them. "DIE!" he screeched, cackling madly, and opening his mouth wide. Dozens of needles suddenly flew out of his throat through his mouth, whistling through the air and bearing down upon the genin team. Naruto readied a kunai and nimbly rolled across the ground, pulling the rope with him. However, his teammates did not. Naruto watched in horror as the needles pierced through both TenTen and Lee's bodies, ramming themselves deep into their chests and heads with a sickly, wet stab. Shiaki smiled broadly at his work, charging at Naruto now, bearing down on him quickly. "Two down you bastard," cackled Shiaki, "Now just you!"

Naruto's look of shock quickly turned to a wide, malicious grin. "I don't think so," he said mockingly. Suddenly, Lee and TenTen both burst into puffs of smoke, revealing the two kage bunshins he had transformed, and the rope quickly went slack, sending it back down into the clouds behind Naruto. Naruto wrapped his arms around the rope and pulled it forward with all of his might, swinging the taut rope in a circular motion. He watched Shiaki through the corner of his eye; he was parallel with Naruto now and driving himself forward, an evil sneer plastered on his rat-like face. 'I've got to do this quick,' he thought. He continued to swing the rope outward feeling the painful pull of the weight at the end on his own body. Shiaki was getting closer, his head extending again with a sick stretching noise that resembled rubber. Naruto clenched his teeth and continued to throw the rope around. He grasped it firmly, feeling the rope burn painfully against his hands as it slid farther towards it destination. 'Now,' thought Naruto as the rope traveled in front of him; he quickly pulled a kunai from his belt and clipped the end of the rope, sending it into the clouds just as Shiaki descended on him. Naruto crossed his arms in front of him, absorbing Shiaki's body with his arms. Shiaki's head cackled madly as it snaked forward, driving itself towards Naruto's head, his mouth gaping wide, readying another needle burst. Naruto craned his neck, narrowly avoiding a particularly long spike that cut his ear slightly. Shiaki snarled in frustration and opened his gaping mouth wide, readying to bite down on Naruto again. Naruto moved his arms closer, crossing his fingers while keeping the rest of Shiaki's body at bay. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," he said as several shadow clones appeared in puffs of smoke around him, grabbing every limb of Shiaki and pulling him off Naruto. Shiaki struggled violently against the many Narutos, using his extended head to fire a few needles and destroy them. Naruto regrouped himself and dived forward for Shiaki's long neck, grasping it tightly with both hands. Shiaki choked badly as Naruto pulled Shiaki's neck around in a circle, sending the body around him in a wide arc. He then released him, driving his body full force into the mountain ahead of him, the stone chipping and cracking at the impact shaking Naruto slightly. Naruto smiled as Shiaki's neck returned to its original position, coughing badly as his lungs gasped for air desperately.

Suddenly, two more shapes burst out from either side of him revealing both Garuda and Zeumon. Naruto detached the chakra from his feet and fell headfirst farther down the mountain, rolling back to a standing position as he skidded his feet against the granite surface. Zeumon and Garuda closed in front of Naruto, spreading out slightly. "You're outnumbered now," came Zeumon's cocky voice, "3 to 1, and I don't see any friends here to help you this time." He clanged his two, holed, metal braces on his arms together, causing them to vibrate loudly. The wind began to howl loudly around them, swirling their cloths and hair, ruffling them. A bead of sweat down Naruto's head, but a smile quickly replaced his worried expression as a new sound was heard in the wind. A sharp whistling was coming from the top of the mountain, as if something was cutting against the air itself.

Naruto smiled as he quickly pressed his body flat against the mountain, sending chakra through his body to stick to it as he watched dozens of shuriken burst from the dark clouds in front of them, sailing straight towards the three sound nin. "What the hell," yelled Zeumon as the three looked on in horror. They only had time to raise their arms to block before the waves of ninja stars hit them forward, piercing their legs and arms to be followed by painful grunts or cut them leaving fine trails of blood splattered against the mountain. Naruto watched apprehensively as the shurikens sailed right over him, amazed at TenTen's precision.

"Clever bastards aren't you," spat Zeumon through clenched teeth, as he pulled a shuriken from his shoulder. Garuda was in similar shape, as many cuts and abrasions were littered across his body. Shiaki growled low at him, a scowl enveloping his rat-like face as the three of them charged at Naruto. Suddenly, Lee and TenTen burst from the clouds above them, barreling quickly down on the three of them. They were still joined by a rope, and TenTen looked very apprehensive as they sailed towards the sound trio. The three sound nins quickly turned around just as Lee readied a giant kick towards Shiaki.

"Konoha Senpuu," he yelled, delivering a whirlwind kick to the rat like nin's abdomen, sending him screeching down the mountain, disappearing in the dark clouds that were below them. TenTen pressed her feet hard against the side of the mountain, desperately trying to slow their descent. Lee did much the same, driving two kunai and his own legs into the mountain, both of them leaving a trail of steam and dust behind them before finally coming to a stop. Naruto smiled as he turned his attention back to the remaining two nins. "The minds of youth in action," yelled Lee triumphantly, still hanging in midair, "there is nothing we cannot accomplish."

Zeumon scowled hard at them before backpedaling behind Garuda. He shoved his hands across his own ears before giving Garuda a slight nod. Naruto's eyes went wide, his mind cycling back to only a few hours before when this nin had almost killed him. He charged forward quickly at Garuda, his fist outstretched, ready to grasp him by the throat, or at least throw him off balance. Garuda took in a deep breath, whistling slightly through his nose before opening his mouth wide, releasing the sharp, shrill note that vibrated through the air and pounded on the inside of Naruto's skull. He grasped his ears with both hands, desperately trying to shunt the sound from his mind. He squeezed his eyes together reflexively, tearing heavily as the cacophony filled the air, getting shriller by the second. He did not know how Lee and TenTen were holding up but couldn't dare a look. He opened his eyes slightly, the images of the mountain and the nins blurring heavily as his mind became dizzy and disoriented, his balance wavering. Zeumon charged quickly forward again, an odd device covering his ears as his hands began to vibrate madly, readying another strike. Naruto dared to remove his hands from his ears, the shrillness of the sound piercing like a knife through his head, a small trail of blood trickling down his ears staining his collar.

"Kage Bunshin no jutsu," he yelled, as several Naruto clones appeared beside him. The sound was still deafening, and the clones responded in a similar manner. Naruto concentrated hard, trying to maintain his grasp on the jutsu, but the noise overwhelmed him, and the clones disappeared in puffs of smoke. Zeumon charged in, hitting Naruto square in the stomach with an extended kick, sending them both in a dangerous spiral down the side of the mountain. Naruto caught sight of Lee struggling to hold onto a single kunai while simultaneously holding onto TenTen who seemed to have lost her balance and fell forward. Then, the sharp shrill, Lee, TenTen, and Garuda all disappeared as both he and Zeumon were enveloped in the clouds below, the wind howling against his already damaged ears, piercing his mind further.

Zeumon smiled wide at Naruto as he desperately tried to shove his dangerous arms deeper into Naruto's body. Naruto grabbed onto the metal brackets on his arms, wincing painfully as he felt every inch of his body vibrate in sync with Zeumon's arms. Naruto clenched his teeth and pulled Zeumon forward, driving his own head into Zeumon's face, forcing him off of him and backwards into the mountain. Naruto flipped backwards so that his stomach was now facing the mountain and dug his hands and feet into the side, the smell of his scorched skin forming a pungent aroma in his head to compliment the already massive pain he felt throughout his body. Finally, he came to a slow stop, breathing heavily as he gritted his teeth at the feeling of his skin pussing and blistering on his hands.

"You know what's interesting Naruto," came a voice above him. Naruto snapped his neck upwards, to see Zeumon walking casually towards him, a small trickle of blood coming from his nose. "Sound is one of the strongest forces on earth," he continued, rubbing one of his armguards with one hand, "if one can match the vibrations of the atoms of something, that thing can be broken down quite easily. This is the power Orochimaru-sama has granted me, and I will use it to enforce his will."

"You're nothing but a brainwashed fool," snapped Naruto, "Orochimaru doesn't care about you or anyone else. He's just a greedy monster."

"He understands us," said Zeumon darkly, "the outcasts of the world; those who are feared or hated for being different. He accepts us! And I will not allow you to insult him!" He clanged the metal pieces on his arms together and slammed them into the mountain side. A shockwave went through the side, crumbling the rock quickly in a loud crack. The debris began to fall down the mountain in large chunks as Naruto nimbly dodged them, still trying to maintain his footing on the mountain. Zeumon dropped down the mountain, his still vibrating arms causing a loud humming sound to emanate from the front of him. Naruto dodged to the right as Zeumon sailed right past him, flipping forward and skidding across the mountain to a stop.

Naruto crossed his fingers, ignoring what bad shape his hands were in. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," he yelled, creating several clones around him, all of them focused completely on Zeumon. Zeumon smiled broadly, banging the two metal guards on his arms together again before flicking his fingers towards Naruto, taunting him forward. Naruto scowled at Zeumon, tensing the muscles in his legs, readying himself for an all out attack. His heart began to beat quickly, an anxious feeling washing over him, and his anger was beginning to rise again. 'Not this time,' he thought, keeping his emotions bottled within him, 'gotta remember what Gai-sensei said.' He exhaled deeply, thinking hard for a battle strategy to use against this sound nin. Naruto smiled to himself and then sent himself and his clones forward, charging down on Zeumon, the wind whipping around them as they came closer to their destination.

Zeumon moved quickly, thrusting his arms outward and grabbing two clones by the head before sending a massive shockwave into each, imploding the clones into a single puff of smoke. Others charged forward as well, as Zeumon continually dodged and swerved his body, attempting to look for an opening. Zeumon connected twice more with two other clones. "Did you really think that a full open assault would work against me," taunted Zeumon, destroying another clone, "you're just as much an idiot as Orochimaru-sama informed us. I can't believe we aren't to underestimate some loser like you." Zeumon charged forward, breaking through the line of clones, slowly scaling up the mountain towards the real Naruto. Naruto stood completely still awaiting the attack to come. Zeumon banged the metal armguards together once again, the resonation of the metal humming loudly in the air. Naruto still did nothing but await the attack.

Zeumon was close now, his legs pumping furiously towards a still Naruto, his arms outstretched, ready to pulverize Naruto with another blast. He was only inches from Naruto now, and Naruto smiled broadly at Zeumon. Suddenly, he jumped outward, gravity taking hold of him and drawing him downward, revealing a clone standing right behind him that delivered a massive kick to Zeumon's stomach, sending him sprawling back down the mountain.

"U" said the clone loudly. Naruto flipped forward allowing the same clone to grab him by the collar of his shirt and fling him towards Zeumon. Three more clones appeared behind Zeumon, who was still recoiling from the last attack by the first one. They each balanced themselves on one leg, thrusting an arm against he mountain side for leverage delivering a hard kick to Zeumon's back in quick succession, sending him back up the mountain's side.

"Zu…Ma…Ki," said the clones as each landed their successive kicks, sending Zeumon skyrocketing in the real Naruto's direction. Naruto sailed straight towards Zeumon headfirst, smiling broadly as a small trickle of blood was now permeating from his nose and lip, splattering against the mountain in a small line. Naruto flipped himself forward, bringing his heel to land at the back of Zeumon's head, driving him face first into the mountain.

"Naruto Rendan," yelled Naruto as he arced over Zeumon and was caught by the clones. He replaced his feet on the side of the mountain, admiring the large hole in the side that Zeumon now resided in. The clones disappeared in small puffs of smoke, each with a loud pop. Naruto walked up towards Zeumon who was now coughing blood, the red liquid falling from his mouth down back towards the earth as it sank through the white clouds beneath it.

A satisfied smile crept across Naruto's face as he watched Zeumon struggle to his feet, balancing himself slowly on the mountain's side. Naruto watched, tensing himself, readying for another attack. Suddenly, he felt another presence behind him. He leapt to his right quickly as Shiaki burst from the mist behind him missing Naruto by only inches. Naruto rolled quickly, letting gravity pull him down slightly before realigning himself. Shiaki ran towards Zeumon, helping him to his feet. They both stared bullets into Naruto, slowly moving onto either side of him, drawing him into a pincer attack.

All of the sudden a high pitched screech shot through the air, reminiscent of Garuda's sound wave. Shiaki and Zeumon both shot each other a look before running back up the mountain towards the sound's source. Naruto followed quickly, a feeling of dread coming over him as he wondered how Lee and TenTen were doing.

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Lee opened his eyes slightly, watching Naruto fall through the clouds below him. The shrill sound was piercing hard into his mind, shattering his mind as he desperately held onto TenTen, trying to maintain his balance throughout the penetrating cacophony that pierced through the air, reverberating off his head. Slowly, the sound began to grow smaller and smaller, until only a slight ringing in Lee's ears permeated through. He opened his eyes completely, his senses slowly regaining their strength as he looked at Garuda. He was coughing badly, wheezing slightly as his breathing seemed very scratched and labored. Lee shook his head from side to side, trying to regain conscious thought despite the pounding feeling he felt in his head. TenTen regained her composure as well, replacing her feet on the mountain, trying desperately to channel the chakra in her body properly.

Lee looked back at Garuda, who was slowly regaining his composure, the attack seeming to take a toll on his body as well. "Dammit," came his robotic voice through the slotted device in his neck, "I went too far. Ah well, I have other devices at my disposal." His eyes became fixated on Lee as he reached behind to the back of his head, adjusting a device in the back of it. He inhaled deeply again, his abdomen sticking far out in front of his body before he let loose a gigantic blast of air that erupted like in a torrent from his gaping mouth traveling straight towards Lee. Lee's eyes went wide as the blast of wind came towards him. He quickly pulled himself up with both arms on the kunai, pushing off of it and thrusting himself into the open air. The rope around his body became taught, still anchored to TenTen as the blast of air hit between the two of them, crushing the spot Lee had been seconds later and cutting through the mountain like a knife. Garuda's blast stopped as Lee sailed through the air, tumbling back down towards TenTen. He reached an arm out towards TenTen, who grasped it firmly, steadying herself against the mountain as Lee's weight pulled her down slightly.

Lee looked up at TenTen as she struggled to keep the two of them anchored to the mountain. His eyes shifted back to Garuda who was inhaling deeply, readying another blast in their direction. Lee quickly snatched two kunai from TenTen with his free hand.

"What are you doing," she asked quickly as she watched Lee cut the rope between them.

"I'll give you an opening," said Lee, "just look for-MOVE!" His warning came just in time as he pushed on TenTen's arm, sending them in opposite directions as another wave of air sliced through the spot they had been standing moments before. Lee went back into freefall as he thrust the kunai back into the mountain's side, dragging the kunai deep in the mountain's side, chipping a long line through his descent. He stopped below Garuda, who was readying yet another blast, the wind swirling in front of him as his lungs quickly sucked in air. Lee climbed quickly back up the way he had come, trying to get above Garuda fast. He looked up at TenTen who had barely dodged another assault by Garuda's technique, only a crater of debris left where she had been standing. TenTen reached behind her and flicked her arms out in a wide arc, throwing several shurikens whizzing through the air in Garuda's direction. Garuda reached to the back of his neck again quickly and let loose a much wider breadth of air that knocked the shuriken away to fall down the side of the mountain. He shot them both a satisfied smirk before reaching behind his neck again and launched a more concentrated surge of air towards them. TenTen rolled across the mountain, channeling chakra all across her body to stick to the mountain, leaving Lee in it's path of destruction. Lee watched as the air continued to make its way towards him.

'This is as good as I'm going to get,' he thought, taking a deep breath before pulling himself up on the kunai and rocketing himself up the mountain headfirst. He quickly placed the balls of his feet against the surface and began pushing upwards on it, keeping his body low to the ground, his legs furiously pumping to fight the inevitable forces of gravity that were pulling him down. Garuda was affixed on Lee, readying another powerful burst of wind from his mouth, inhaling deeply. Lee continued running against the mountain, gravity beginning to pull him into an arc that motioned across the granite wall. Garuda caught sight of him and unleashed another torrent directly in front of his path, quickly cutting through the mountain going towards Lee as he made his run. Lee, feeling he could no longer fight gravity, jumped from the side outward, forcing his body to move towards Garuda headfirst.

Garuda inhaled again quickly, issuing another blast towards Lee. Lee bent backwards on himself, stretching painfully into a tight, semicircle as the blast of wind came within mere centimeters of him, the shock rippling his body suit and sending a tremor of panic down his spine. Lee focused on Garuda, straightening out his body and sailing through the air at his opponent. Garuda's blast faltered and faded, and Lee watched as Garuda took in another deep breath of air. Garuda opened his mouth wide readying another torrent just as Lee reached him.

Lee came in arms first, grabbing the sides of Garuda's head harshly with both hands, his own momentum snapping Garuda's head back violently, his torrent of air going wide and into the mist, causing a massive rift in the haze before it reformed on itself. Lee kept firm hold of the sides of Garuda's head, flipping over him so that he was now back to back with him. Garuda flailed wildly, desperately trying to maintain a firm hold on the rock. Lee grunted as he pulled hard on Garuda's head, giving him enough momentum to turn around in midair. Lee placed one hand on Garuda's face, pulling it back to expose the elongated machine on his neck. Lee quickly wrapped his legs around Garuda's skinny arms, immobilizing him on the mountain. Lee quickly shot a desperate look at TenTen who nodded; Lee had given her the opening she needed. She drew her arms back and flung several shuriken whizzing towards Garuda, cutting deftly through the air. Lee struggled against a flailing Garuda trying to hold him firmly in place. Lee's grasp faltered on Garuda's head, and Garuda brought his face forward just in time to see the shuriken whizzing through the air towards him. He swayed his body around, struggling to dodge the black stars that were whirling towards him. Suddenly, one of them hit its mark, cutting into the metal device wrapped around his neck. The metal broke and a fine mist of blood shot into the air, compounded with the stored air in his throat and spraying the mountain's side. The air whistled through the hole in the metal, creating a duplicate of the high pitched whistle they had heard earlier, the sound hitting Lee full force. He covered his ears, trying to shut out the sound as his senses were once again engulfed in the anomalous sound. All of a sudden, his legs lost their balance and Garuda shrugged him off, quickly placing his hands against the puncture in his neck. Lee watched almost in slow motion as tumbled down the mountain, frantically grasping for any hold on which to stop himself. He placed his bandaged hands against the mountain's side, but only succeeded in burning himself, blistering his hands as he continued to freefall down.

The wind whipped around Lee and the shapes hidden within the mist past faster and faster in front of his eyes. He tried to push himself against the side of the mountain again, wanting any friction with which to slow his descent. He placed his feet firmly against the mountain as well, his rubber sandals creating a loud squealing in the air as steam burned off of them, leaving a blue streak on the mountain. His heart was racing now, his mind desperate for any way out of the situation. He placed his blistered hands on the mountain again. He gnashed his teeth together, his body coursing with searing pain like a fire had been lit on his hands and feet, yet he kept steady against the mountain. He pulled back an arm and smashed it hard into the mountain, stretching out his fingers as he grabbed into the long trail of broken debris he had created. Blood issued freely from his hand as he felt his fingernails crack and break under the extreme stress he was placing under them. Lee yelled loudly, his mind desperate for a stopping point and his body desperate to stop the pain coursing through him. Gradually, he began to slow, his mind relaxing slightly, and his heart beginning to slow its jackhammer like pace. He finally came to a complete stop against the side of the mountain. Lee was breathing heavily, wincing slightly with every breath. His right hand felt badly burned, and fragments of stone seemed lodged under his skin, but he had succeeded in stopping himself.

"You okay," came a familiar voice from behind him. Lee looked down to see Naruto running quickly up the mountain, a concerned expression on his face.

"I'm fine," Lee breathed, "we need to get back up to the top."

"Yeah," said Naruto, "those guys Zeumon and Shiaki are already ahead of us."

"Then there's no time to waste," said Lee, "you go on ahead, I'll catch, hey, what are you doing?" Naruto had grasped Lee by the waist and placed his body on his shoulder.

"I'm not leaving you behind," said Naruto, "sorry about this, but it's the fastest way to go."

Lee was about to say something, but merely sighed disdainfully and nodded in agreement with Naruto. 'An Azure Beast should not be carried,' he thought to himself, 'but it doesn't seem like I have much of a choice.'

Naruto rushed swiftly up the side of the mountain, carrying a very embarrassed Lee on his shoulder. He had seen Zeumon and Shiaki come up this way beforehand, and he did not want to leave TenTen alone to deal with all three of them. Darkness had enveloped the mountain completely now, and what little light was available was obscured by the unyielding blanket of shadow that had descended around them.

Out of the shadows, Naruto heard the sounds of battle, the familiar clang of metal hitting against metal. He ran towards it, his legs fighting furiously as the forces of the earth attempted to pull him back to earth. He finally emerged behind TenTen who was panting heavily, darkness obscuring most of her. In the distance, the shapes of the three sound nins sat across from them. "Is Lee okay," asked TenTen, noticing a prone Lee on his shoulder.

"I'm fine," said Lee indignantly. Naruto grinned slightly at his friend's predicament, but quickly refocused himself to the nins in front of them. Shiaki was coming closer to them, his rat-like features finally showing in the darkness.

"I'm tired of this," he said maliciously, "I'm going to kill all of them, mutilate them, rip them to shreds and then rip the pieces to pieces." Dark lines began to form across Shiaki's face as a crisscrossing patter of odd shapes began to appear on his face. Naruto knew this feeling; Shiaki was activating a cursed seal. Naruto steeled himself for whatever was to come, but something else was nagging him. A familiar feeling was creeping up on him, making the hairs on his neck stand on end.

"DIE!" cackled Shiaki. A long blade suddenly protruded from his mouth and he charged quickly forward, straight towards the three of them. TenTen stood her ground, ready to intercept the oncoming attack. Naruto stared at Shiaki, but his mind was sending panic signals down his spine, the feeling creeping up closer to him. Something was coming down on them fast. Shiaki was coming closer as well, the long blade protruding from his mouth aimed directly at TenTen. Naruto gasped and his eyes went wide as the feeling hit him full force.

"TENTEN GET BACK," he shouted, pulling his friend backwards by her shirt with his free hand.

"What the hell," said TenTen, "what are you-" her words were cut off as Shiaki descended upon them, the blade ready to pierce into them. Suddenly, a hand came out of the shadows to the side and grabbed Shiaki violently by the head, driving the blade into the side of the mountain, breaking it in two. Shiaki coughed loudly, throwing up the rest of the sword in its entirety.

"Who the hell-" he only managed those words out before a red, booted foot connected with his head, sending him sprawling in a wide arc back towards the sound nins. Naruto scowled as a scarlet clad nin emerged from the darkness, standing like a mountain between the two groups, dwarfing both of them.

"Set," said Naruto, scowling at his own words. Set turned his head so that one of his dark, crimson eyes shown in the darkness. They seemed to create their own light and reflected an eerie red and black design on the three leaf nin. He turned his attention back to the sound trio. Shiaki was being helped to his feet by Zeumon and Garuda, a small sliver of blood tracing his path through the air.

"Another leaf nin," asked Zeumon fiercely, "who are you?"

Set chuckled to himself, his body shaking slightly at his own laughter. "Your business with him is done," said Set mockingly, motioning towards Naruto, "Leave, I have no time nor patience to deal with the filth that pale-face brings here."

"Filth," screamed Shiaki, "we are Orochimaru's chosen! We are the honor guard of the greatest nin in existence. We are-"

"Trash," interrupted Set, "part of a cycle beginning with that piece of snake shit. Garbage in, garbage out."

Zeumon stepped forward, his body shaking in a raw fury. "You…insult Orochimaru-sama," he shouted, a similar design of black marks appearing on his face, "You will not leave here alive today bastard. I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD FOR THAT!" He clanged the two pieces on his arms together, a much louder humming emanating from him now as he charged rapidly at Set, his teeth bared in an enraged expression.

Set smiled slightly as Zeumon stepped closer forward, his arms outstretched ready to tear Set to pieces. However, Set's long legs reached him first, delivering a quick to his abdomen, knocking him backwards against the mountain's side. Zeumon recovered and ran forward, quickly skidding to a stop and running at Set from his side. He dove forward, his hands connecting with the mountain side, delivering a massive shockwave to the side of it that shot dust and debris far into the air. Naruto and TenTen quickly backpedaled to a safer distance from the two nin, watching with curiosity from a distance.

"Naruto," yelled Lee, "what the hell's going on? Put me down!" TenTen handed Lee a kunai which he drove quickly into the mountain, holding onto it with his good hand as Naruto allowed him to dangle there, supporting him slightly with a free hand. The dust finally began to clear, showing a massive crater where Set had been moments before. Zeumon was the first to appear, panting heavily, a large grin plastered on his face.

"I got him," he laughed, "let this be an example to anyone who would dare to insult Orochimaru-sama."

"And let this be a testament to his stupidity," came a voice from behind him. Zeumon turned around only to receive a massive side kick from Set, driving him farther up the mountain. Zeumon stared refocused himself back on the mountain's side, coughing heavily as he stared in disbelief at Set. His red bodysuit had been frayed and cut in some areas, but he seemed otherwise intact. "Really now," said Set mockingly, "that was very impressive, but your style lacks… finesse."

Zeumon scowled at Set and charged forward again, readying another shockwave. He slammed his arms into the ground, sending a wave of debris and dust into the air, traveling straight at Set. The shockwave went straight into him, obscuring him completely from view. Naruto watched as Zeumon studied the spot Set had taken the blow intently, looking for any sign of a body. He raised his arms out, readying another blast when suddenly Set reappeared behind him, grabbing both of this arms tightly and holding them outward away from his body. He pulled Zeumon into the air, his legs flailing in the open air.

"Let me show you," said Set darkly, raising a single leg to upward, his knee touching his chest, "how a true artist works." He brought his foot against the small of Zeumon's back in a massive kick. The sound of cracking bone and ripping flesh filled the air as Set separated Zeumon from his arms with a single kick. Zeumon screamed loudly; Naruto could almost feel the pain coming from his voice. Shiaki ran out quickly, catching what was left of Zeumon in his arms before he could freefall down the mountain. Naruto looked on in shock, a similar expression on the faces of Lee and TenTen. He turned his attention up to Set who seemed to be studying the still twitching arms intently. He placed one end of the bloody stump up to his eyes, studying it closer. "The pallet is wrong for this canvas," he said in a bored tone, "it doesn't fit well, see." He drug one of the stumps of the arm against the side of the mountain, a loud screeching sound coming out as bone was drug against stone, leaving a line of dark red blood. Set gave an indignant snort before dropping the arms down the side of the mountain as well, also caught by Shiaki.

"Now," said Set, his tone changing to a very threatening one, "as I said before, I believe your business is done with him. So if you will be so kind as to remove yourself from my presence. You offend my senses."

Shiaki shot a terrified look at Garuda. Although Naruto could not see his face in the darkness, he made a motioning with his head up the mountain, running quickly up it. Shiaki followed suit, carrying an unconscious Zeumon up with him. He gave Set a quick hiss before moving up the mountain and into the clouds above them.

Set watched them leave and quickly turned his attention back to Naruto. He walked slowly towards them, coming down on them from above. "I had wanted to speak to you earlier," said Set nonchalantly, "but I was terribly busy and did not find the time."

"Who the hell are you," said Lee, a very repugnant look on his face. Set raised an eyebrow but then bowed deeply to them.

"Forgive me," he said, "I have not introduced myself. I am Izou Set, genin of the Hidden Cloud; though I would have figured Naruto would tell you about me."

Lee turned to Naruto his face very confused now. "You know this nin Naruto," asked Lee. Naruto nodded slowly, not daring to take his eyes of Set.

"Yes," continued Set, "we met a few days ago. You remember, our little romp through Thunder Capitol, your rage and fury driving you into a mad frenzy.

"You did that," asked TenTen surprised. Naruto looked down at his feet, feeling a pang of guilt and shame for his actions, but nodded.

"Yes," continued Set excitedly, "it was very impressive. I've never met anyone with such raw passion and fury before; it almost seemed otherworldly."

Lee and TenTen looked back and forth between Set and Naruto. Naruto did not focus on them, but kept his eyes on Set. Every time they had confronted each other, there was always an emphasis on his anger, the red chakra. 'What does he want with me,' thought Naruto.

"**Interesting predicament you've gotten yourself into."**

"Now's not the time for this."

"**Sasuke says that anger, rage, and pain were the only true ways to get power as do I. Now this nin seems to believe it so strongly he's begging you to rip him to shreds. The majority seems to agree with the former statement. Perhaps you just need a little incentive."**

Naruto could feel the red chakra begin to flow through his veins. He allowed it to; he felt the anger and rage begin to well from deep inside him spreading outward, a furious rage beginning to consume him. He looked up; Set was smiling broadly now, readying himself for a fight. Naruto tensed the muscles in his legs, ready to strike down this nin once and for all.

Out of the corners of his eyes, he caught sight of TenTen and Lee. They were both staring at him with a kind of abhorred shock. Their reaction panged Naruto deep inside of him, a feeling of intense guilt and sadness replacing his feelings of anger. 'I am not a monster,' he thought, feeling the red chakra begin to slowly ooze out of his system, 'and the people who are close to me know this. I will not give in, that is not my way of the ninja.' He closed his eyes and took a deep breath and buried his feelings deep within himself, down into the pit of his soul where no one could find them. He opened his eyes again and confronted Set with clear vision.

"You're not going to manipulate me," he said firmly, "now get out of my sight."

Set stood before him, a look of utter disappointment on his face. He shook his head back and forth slowly, going back to a relaxed position. "No, no, no, no, no," he said, "you're not playing by the rules. Well then, if you're going to cheat and bury your feelings deep within yourself, I am just going to have to cheat as well." He turned around and began to walk up the mountain. When he was out of their sight, Naruto heard his voice one more time. "Just remember Naruto," said Set, "wounds of the flesh do not cut so deep." Naruto waited until he could no longer feel his presence before relaxing again.

"Who was that guy," asked TenTen.

"I'm not sure really," said Naruto, "I didn't even know he was a ninja until now. Anyway it's my problem, and I'll deal with it." Naruto felt a hand grip his shoulder tightly. He looked behind him to see Lee, still hanging from his kunai, a wide grin on his face.

"You are our comrade remember," said Lee, "and your problem is out problem. We will help you for together, there is nothing youthful minds cannot accomplish." He removed his hand from Naruto's shoulder and pumped it into the air, mimicking his sensei's movements.

Naruto smiled warmly at the two of them, but could not help feeling apprehensive. Set had become an unknown factor, and if he was taking this exam, he knew he had not seen the last of him.

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Set jogged quickly up the mountain, smiling to himself. 'We'll see if you can't be manipulated little one,' thought Set.

"Where have you been," came a cold voice from in front of him. Set stopped and allowed Julius to walk forward out of the white mist in front of them, his heavy boots hitting with a metallic clang against the mountain's side. "I had to finish the mission without you," he continued, "We couldn't waste any time."

"So," said Set, "we will be the only three of the Hidden Cloud to make it through this exam." Julius nodded.

"I've disposed of the rest of the Hidden Cloud besides us and Kanitsu Cally, per the Raikage's orders." He turned his back to Set and continued up the mountain's side, attempting to reclaim lost ground. Set followed, his mind elsewhere.

'That rage is buried somewhere deep inside of him,' thought Set, following his brother up the mountain's side, "and one way or another, I'm going to dig it out."

A/N: Sorry this one took so long, just getting through the finals, but things will hopefully be looking up. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and everyone who read.


	25. Part 43: Specters of the Past

Part 4.3: Specters of the Past

Naruto pushed himself forward amidst a torrent of snow that was pouring down on top of them on a windless night. They had been climbing straight up at a feverish pace ever since their previous encounter with the sound nins. The snow had started nearly an hour ago and was falling in large flakes on top of them, sticking to the mountain's side and making their trail even harder to follow. Lee had the hardest time, having to push against a completely frozen stone again and again was taking its toll on his body and he seemed to be pushing himself on pure will anymore. Naruto could hear Lee's loud grunting followed quickly by a loud crack into the stone from the kunai. He had been keeping good time despite the injuries he sustained previously. Naruto shot a look down, looking at Lee wince with pain every time he the kunai held by his damaged hand into the hard stone.

"You alright back there Lee," yelled Naruto, "your hand's pretty-"

"I'm fine," grunted Lee quickly, interrupting Naruto before he could finish his sentence. Naruto sighed but continued onward. The way up was quiet for another few hours, not one of them needing to speak in the darkness that surrounded them, and only a light wind permeated through the silence. Suddenly, Lee spoke again. "That Hidden Cloud nin," he said loudly, "what does he want exactly?"

"I don't know," replied Naruto, "I thought he just wanted a fight, but now… I just don't know."

"I didn't notice it a first, but something about him seemed familiar," replied Lee, still keeping a steady pace with them.

Naruto stopped suddenly and turned completely around, slipping slightly before refitting himself on the mountain's side. TenTen stopped as well, her gaze going to Lee who quickly made his way up to them. "What do you mean," asked Naruto, "have you seen him before?"

Lee shook his head, "That's the first time I've ever met him, but something about him…some kind of feature seemed familiar," said Lee. He kept his pace and continued pulling himself up the mountain, groaning loudly with each partial step. Naruto looked over to TenTen, who simply shrugged her shoulders and continued up the mountain. Naruto continued onward, taking point once again, but Lee's words bothered him. Naruto quickly pushed it from his mind and continued onward, readying himself for whatever would come.

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Kakashi arrived at the hotel Tsunade had been staying at, a feeling of apprehension overwhelming him as he entered the giant double doors that led into the very upscale hotel entrance. His single eye searched the room quickly, looking for any sign of Tsunade but found none. The feeling inside the hotel was very contrasting to that of the outside; it was a very well lit room with many glass chandeliers showering light down on the room, contrasting heavily with the ubiquitous darkness outside that seemed to envelop the entire town. It was a very grand room, and had many statues of the two most famous Hidden Cloud, Izou Dao and Izou Kai; however, one of the statues at the top was broken, its head missing off the prominent shoulders. Kakashi walked quickly towards the doorman, his sandaled feet making a soft thud against the ornate carpet of the entryway.

"May I help you nin of the Hidden Leaf," said the deskman cordially, bowing deeply to Kakashi. Kakashi did not return the favor but quickly launched into his question.

"Is Hokage-sama here," he asked quickly, trying to hide the anxiety in his voice.

"She left some time ago," replied the doorman, his eyes drifting towards the ceiling, reminiscing past events, "She was summoned by the Raikage around midday and still had not returned. I imagine she will-" but a loud crash coming from the entrance brought his attention back to the present, his eyes wide in shock. Kakashi looked over lazily as well, and noticed a broken doorway revealing an absolutely furious Tsunade. A horrid scowl covered her entire face, and she bore the distinct impression that she was going to hit the next thing she saw. Kakashi raised a single eyebrow in her direction as she tromped angrily across the carpet, her every footstep making a loud thud that echoed in the cavernous hallway. She was muttering loudly, a series of broken phrases. Kakashi could decipher, "Raikage," "bastard," and a series of other loosely put together swear words. The doorman looked to approach Tsunade but Kakashi caught him with an arm, shaking his head.

"You'd best wait," he said softly, "she's not exactly the most pleasant person in the world when she's like this." The doorman nodded nervously as they both watched Tsunade tromp up the stairs, her fists balled tight, every muscle in her body seemingly tense. Kakashi watched as Gai slowly came around the corner of the stairs, straight in Tsunade's path.

"Ah salutations Hokage-sama," said Gai cheerfully, oblivious to the mood Tsunade was clearly in, "did you have a most successful meeting with the Raikage?" He shot Tsunade one of his trademark good-guy poses as she tromped past him. She stopped suddenly and snapped her head in Gai's direction, growling slightly. Gai's expression quickly changed, his eyes going very wide in fear. He stepped out of Tsunade's way, eyeing her oddly as she went. A loud slam was heard behind her that shook the room itself.

Kakashi sighed deeply, 'Now may not be the best time to tell her about Hiketsu,' he thought, an anxious feeling flowing through him, 'but I don't have much of a choice now.' Gai walked shakily towards Kakashi, walking slowly down the stairs as his eyes strayed towards Tsunade's room.

"I'm assuming that's a most assured no," said Gai to himself before turning his attention to Kakashi, "Ah, well if it isn't my eternal rival, no doubt here to challenge the Amazing Azure Beast to a competition of skill and bravery. However, I must warn you, I will be going to the village of the Hidden Cloud so our competition must be swift, amazing, and exciting, just like me." He ended his speech with his usual good-guy pose, complete with a frothing ocean behind him.

Kakashi was still looking towards Tsunade's room, wondering if this was the right time. His eyes drifted over to Gai who was shooting him his trademark pose. "Huh," he said lackadaisically, "did you say something?"

Gai's eyes burned with fury as he pumped his hands into the air in frustration, "Gah," he yelled, "your reaction is so cool, it angers the Azure Beast so!"

Kakashi stared at Gai as tears rolled down his cheeks. "Gai," he said solemnly, "it's time we told her the whole story."

Gai's face changed so quickly Kakashi took a step back. "Are you sure," asked Gai, his voice very serious now.

Kakashi nodded, "I saw him today," this elicited an even bigger reaction from Gai, who looked legitimately panicked now.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. He spoke to me too. It's him, there's no doubt in my mind."

"But, that's impossible, we-"

"I know," said Kakashi, "but I know what I saw. It's time." Gai reluctantly nodded and followed Kakashi up the stairs to Tsunade's room. There were muffled screams followed by bouts of cursing coming from it. Kakashi sighed as he grasped the knob of the door and slowly pushed it open.

"STUPID SON OF A BITCH!" were the words that greeted Kakashi and Gai as they came slowly into the room. Tsunade was pacing back and forth in her suite, her heels clicking loudly against the polished, tile floor. The room was very lavish, with glass and gold chandeliers that beamed light in golden streams across the room. However, Tsunade seemed to be the focal point, pacing and cursing louder every second, her arms waving wildly in exaggerated motions. "I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT ARROGANT BASTARD," she screamed, "Who in the hell does he think he is!? At any other time, in any other place," she rammed a closed fist into her open hand, a loud slapping sound reverberating across the room. Her eyes drifted towards the door, finally noticing a very worried looking Kakashi and Gai, both of whom were eyeing her warily.

Tsunade took in a deep breath and quickly let it out, seeming to regain her poise. "Can I help you two," she said, her voice clearly irritated. Kakashi stepped forward through the door, Gai following close behind him. They closed the door behind them and bowed deeply to Tsunade, who returned the gesture.

"Hokage-sama," said Kakashi very seriously, straightening himself out again, "I have to tell you something very important." Tsunade's eyes opened wide with surprise, and she motioned for Kakashi to sit. He declined the offer as she took a seat at the end of a very large bed. "Remember when I asked you about Hiketsu," he said.

Tsunade nodded, "Very well," she said, her voice rising again, "I assume this has something to do with him."

Kakashi nodded as well, his face turning very solemn and cold at the thought of Hiketsu. "I saw him today," he said coolly. Tsunade nodded again, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face nonchalantly.

"This guy must have you pretty spooked," she said, "if you're making this big a fuss over him."

"Spooked isn't exactly the word for it," replied Kakashi. He paused here, taking a deep breath as he reached within the depths of his mind for the exact words to describe the situation. "About ten years ago, myself and three others including Gai here," he motioned slowly towards Gai, "were sent deep into Hidden Cloud territory in order to keep up espionage and disrupt activities there. The mission was so successful that many squads of ANBU were sent to us as reinforcements, around twenty or so in all. It was around this time that we first saw Hiketsu. At first, we thought nothing of it; the day was snowy and very windy, and besides a black garb nothing about him seemed significant. We lost track of him for about a week, but we came into contact with him again…and…" Kakashi paused again, taking in very deep breaths. He could feel his heart sink inside him; reminiscing such events were very hard for him. "…he proceeded to slaughter the entire regime. Only Gai and I survived."

Tsunade stared at them with a mixture of shock and disbelief. "Slaughtered twenty ANBU and two Jounin," she asked in disbelief, cocking her head slightly at Kakashi, as if examining to make sure he was alright, "that's quite a feat, but not impossible I suppose. Did he catch you off guard, take down groups of you at a time? Or did he get assistance from the nearby Hidden Cloud?"

"He attacked the entire encampment head on," said Kakashi shakily, "we didn't even scratch him at first. He did things…jutsus and skills I've never seen before with hand seals that were very foreign to us."

"I see," said Tsunade, her fingers crossed below her head, her chin resting on her hands, "so this, Hiketsu, has some kind of powerful jutsus at his disposal."

"Yes," replied Kakashi, "but that's not what has me…spooked…after many ANBU had fallen, I finally got an opening, and drove a Chidori straight through his chest. He fell, my hand was soaked in blood, and we assumed it was over. After a few seconds, he got right back up, the huge hole still dripping dark blood from his chest, like nothing happened. The wound sealed itself shut slowly after that, the blood oozing back inside of him."

Tsunade's mouth was left gaping at the last comment, her eyes squinting at Kakashi, "You impaled him," she asked, Kakashi nodding slowly in agreement, "and he just got right back up," once again, Kakashi nodded. Tsunade stared at him in disbelief, almost laughing silently. "He must have been using some kind of genjutsu then because there is no way someone could survive a direct wound through the chest like that."

"Don't you have special healing jutsus Tsunade-sama," piped in Gai.

Tsunade nodded, "Yes I do," she said, "and I do heal fast under certain circumstances, but you say you left a hole in his chest?"

Kakashi circled his fingers through the air, making a sphere through the air about half a foot in diameter. Tsunade still shook her head in disbelief, "There's no way a person would be able to survive something like that. I can heal myself readily assuming I have collected enough chakra in my body. A wound to the heart would be nothing that I couldn't heal with the Genesis Rebirth, but to completely replace the organ, like it's been ripped and shredded from the body? That would take a substantial amount of power, if it's even possible. In any case, I understand your concerns, and I won't take them lightly. Do you think this guy could be associated with the Raikage in any way?"

Kakashi shrugged, "I don't know," he said, "if he is, then I think we should really reconsider our staying here."

"I'm not going to pull out Kakashi," said Tsunade defiantly, "just because of some fears you have about one man. Even if we wanted to, we can't at this point."

"Why," asked Kakashi.

Tsunade took in a deep breath; her face was turning a bright red, showing her anger returning to the surface. "The Raikage has placed the entire Leaf under investigation," she growled, "over the murder of one of Orochimaru's nins. Also, we are being blamed for the attacks on the villages in the last few weeks. The law is that no one leaves the area, not for any reason. Basically, we've been quarantined in his own city."

Kakashi stared at Tsunade, completely lost for words. Their routes of escape were blocked, trapped in a city with the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Sound breathing down their necks. "We should send word to Konoha about this," he said finally, "it's important that they know our situation here."

"How do you suppose we do that," she asked, "I'm sure that one or two of us could get out of the city, but I need as many as I can get here. I don't know what the Raikage's planning, but we're in deep here."

"Well," said Kakashi, pricking his thumb against the side of his jacket, "we won't send any person then." He pressed on the ground, one hand on the other, forming a seal on the ground. A small puff of smoke appeared under his hands, revealing a small, brown dog with a leaf forehead protector wrapped around its head. "We'll send Pakkun."

"And where will we be sending Pakkun exactly," said the small dog, looking up at Kakashi. Its eyes traced around the room, seeming to admire the high class establishment.

"You will be going back to Konoha," he said to Pakkun, "I want you to tell them that the Raikage is currently keeping us under quarantine here and to be ready to back us up in the case of an emergency. Just tell them to keep an ear open for us. Also, ask if anyone there has any experience or had heard of the name Hiketsu." Tsunade shot him an inquisitive look. "Just in case. Can you remember all that?"

"Under quarantine, keep ear open, Hiketsu," said Pakkun in a bored tone, "I'm fine, but this snow will be so hard on my soft and bouncy pads." Kakashi went to a nearby window and opened it, allowing a soft wind to come into the room, chilling everyone inside. Pakkun leapt forward and out the window, hitting the deep snow with a dull thud. He stood up, shook off the snow and bounded quickly towards an exit.

"Can we really trust that little dog to get back to Konoha," asked Tsunade.

"Pakkun's my best tracker," said Kakashi, "he'll find his way back. In any case, what's our next move?"

Tsunade sighed and a heavy silence moved over the three of them. "I'm going to speak to the Raikage tomorrow," she finally said, "as much as I abhor our meetings, I've got no choice but to continue the talks. It doesn't seem like I'll get anywhere at this point, but I've come to far to just give up now. Nevertheless, I want all of you to stay on your guard. No please leave, I've got a big day ahead of me."

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Kakashi closed the door behind him silently, Gai following him out of Tsunade's room. "It doesn't seem like she took us seriously," said Gai, "not that I can blame her. Stories about men that can heal themselves so rapidly do seem farfetched."

Kakashi said nothing, but nodded at Gai's comment. His mind was reeling, talking about Hiketsu never brought back any good memories, and now his mind was swarming back to the mission. When…

"Well," said Gai pleasantly, "I must be going. My students will need to meet with their sensei before the second exam, and an Azure Beast is always prompt with his time. I imagine they're already at the top waiting for me. After all, they are students of the Amazing Azure Beast." He walked past Kakashi who was still staring off into space, his eyes half-closed in a very solemn expression. Kakashi didn't even watch as Gai left in front of him, didn't notice his footsteps across the carpet and down the stairs. Not until Gai yelled his name did Kakashi look up.

"Events are swirling around this exam that neither of us will be able to predict," he said, his voice very serious, "watch your back." Kakashi nodded again before he heard Gai bound down the stairs and out the front door, leaving him alone in the hallway. Kakashi walked forward down the stairs slowly, coming out into the night sky. It was very cloudy tonight, and the only light was that provided by the buildings and street lights, covering small circles with white light. Kakashi walked the dark streets, the snow crunching under his feet. He looked up at the sky where dark, grey clouds hung ominously overhead.

'Looks like rain,' he thought, 'rain…'

'_Looks like rain,' Kakashi thought to himself, staring up at the sky. The trees cast a light shadow on the snowy ground; there was very little light in the sky, and the clouds were beginning to turn black and ominous. Flashes of light shot from the clouds, showing heavy thundering that cast bursts of radiance among the dark trees. Kakashi continued to walk through the slush that covered the ground beneath his feet, softly crunching under his every step. He looked off in the distance where their encampment had been set up. Since setting the trap, they had caught a few stray groups but nothing big. The false camp had been converted into an actual one now, where fires burned brightly in the darkness, almost like great beacons of light amidst the forest. Kakashi resisted the impulse to order them put out and scold whoever allowed them to burn; everything had gotten very quiet as of late. No groups of Hidden Cloud nins had been spotted in the area, nor any living thing aside from their own encampment. Their search for the dark, cloaked stranger was fruitless, and they decided to let up and concentrate on other matters. 'Maybe this really is the end,' thought Kakashi, 'it's been going on so long; I thought it would long outlive me. Still, what after? What good is a ninja without battles to fight and foes to kill? Should I settle down, maybe start a family? My father had taken the time, but then again…' He felt a pang of remorse thinking about his late father, but pushed it down inside himself, deep amidst other painful memories. He leaned against a nearby tree for a moment, still deep in thought. 'Even if I wanted to start a family, I'd still be a ninja. I might die on a mission; would I really want to put my wife or children through that? Would they mourn my passing, or scorn me for living such a dangerous life? Would Tiara be in my life? She's a ninja too, would that be right to raise a child? What if-' His thoughts were cut short by a familiar feeling washing over him, bringing his senses on alert. He sniffed the air gently, the cold air burning his nostrils. He tensed his muscles, readying himself for any attack. He stepped out from behind the tree and walked steadily towards the camp, his ears searching amongst the sounds of wind and his own footsteps for the sound of the enemy. He continued walking, waiting for the right moment. Suddenly, a shape sprung out from behind him charging at Kakashi with blinding speed. Kakashi continued walking forward as if he didn't notice anything. The figure came closer, its arms outstretched, ready to strike Kakashi quickly. It came closer until it was only inches from him. In a single motion, Kakashi sidestepped the figure and grabbed and outstretched arm, throwing it to the ground hard with a loud thud. Kakashi sighed as a spiky, goggled man was wincing at him from the ground. "Nice try Obito," he said, "but I could hear you coming from a mile away."_

_Obito groaned, sitting up on his haunches and rubbing his back painfully. "I saw Gai get you like that before," he said indignantly, disbelieving his own luck._

"_Gai is very fast," lectured Kakashi, "and no offense, but he's much faster on foot than you. Here." He outstretched a single arm to his friend, grasping his hand and pulling Obito to his feet. Obito sat up, shaking the snow from his back as he stared reproachfully at Kakashi. Kakashi chuckled slightly at his friend, not wanting to offend him much more. "So, anything new to report?"_

"_No," replied Obito, "everything's calmed down substantially, and we haven't received any orders from HQ." Kakashi nodded at Obito and leaned against another tree, looking up at the dark, thundering sky. There was a deep silence between the two of them that Kakashi appreciated. There was no need to fill the silence with idle chatt-_

"_So what are you thinking about," asked Obito, interrupting the pleasant silence between them. Kakashi smiled under his mask, remembering how Obito hated quiet and preferred to fill that void with banter. _

"_I'm just thinking about after," said Kakashi, humoring his friend, "after all this, what do we do? In times of peace, ninjas just don't serve much of a purpose."_

"_There will always be enemies to fight," replied Obito, his voice turning unusually serious, "whether it's bandits, ninjas, armies, etcetera, there's always something to fight. But as for you, marry Tiara, have some kids, name one after me and train him to kick your ass because I haven't been too successful at that."_

_Kakashi laughed openly at this but said nothing. "We've been through a lot haven't we," said Kakashi, his eyes tracing slowly over to his friend, "just like the old team…" Kakashi felt a pang of guilt go through him as he said this and wished he hadn't. He looked over to Obito who was leaning against a tree as well, sitting in the snow below him. His face had turned very downtrodden, and his eyes were staring at the wet ground in front of him. "I'm sorry," said Kakashi solemnly, "I didn't mean to say that."_

"_Don't worry about it," said Obito softly. Kakashi could tell that Obito was disheartened by his comment and he hated to see his friend so uncharacteristically sad. Kakashi got back to his feet and headed back towards the encampment, but something was holding him back. He felt like he had to say something, anything about back then. _

"_It's been two years hasn't it? I remember them assigning the old team, bringing the three of us together again. That was the last time we were at Konoha wasn't it? We were given temporary leave from the mission to conduct another one in Hidden Stone territory. I remember how excited we all were to be working together, the first time after our sensei's death." He paused for a moment, keeping his voice steady and his emotions hidden inside him. "We never did find out who killed her," continued Kakashi, "one day we're having a reunion together and the next, she's dead. I'm sorry Obito; I know you cared a lot for Rin. I know you must have blamed me for her death; after all, I lead the mission she died on. I don't even know why I'm saying this; it's probably the last thing you want to-"_

"_I hated you, ya know," interrupted Obito, taking Kakashi by surprise. Kakashi stared in disbelief at the man he considered his best friend. Obito's eyes were tearing, and his voice was getting very shaky. "From the day we met, I hated you. I hated how you excelled in everything, how you got all the attention, how no matter what, it seemed like you succeeded in everything you did. When you became a Jounin, I hated you even more. Even when you helped me rescue Rin, I resented you. Only after she died did I really stop hating you. Throughout all we had been together, I could only think of one thing, surpassing you. I wanted to beat you so badly. In the beginning, I thought that as soon as I awakened the Sharingan, I would beat you by leaps and bounds. But you proved me wrong didn't you? Still, you were better. Even after three tears in the Sharingan, I couldn't surpass you. You always found some way to beat me, to be just one step ahead of me at every turn. I couldn't stand it. I'd do anything to beat you…but then…" Obito stood on his feet, tears streaming down his eyes, collecting in his goggles. He took them off and wiped his eyes with a sleeve, still shuddering loudly. _

_Kakashi stared at Obito, too shocked to speak. He had no idea Obito every held such emotions, such malice towards him. He had always viewed Obito as a little headstrong, but a decent person through and through. "Do…you still hate me," asked Kakashi, fearing deep inside himself that the answer would be yes._

_Obito shook his head, "I realized soon after…Rin's death…that I was at fault. It was all my fault for being weak. I wasn't strong enough to surpass you; I wasn't strong enough to protect my friends; and I wasn't strong enough to help even myself. If I hate anyone, it's me. I hated being weak, that's all, and nothing's changed."_

_Kakashi walked slowly back towards where his friend sat. He hesitated at first, but put a reassuring hand on Obito's shoulder. "You're not weak," he said, "you're a fine ninja, one of the greatest Uchiha to come out of the clan. Don't ever forget that."_

_There was another silence between them, but this time, it was an uneasy one, and Kakashi wished Obito would say something. "There's something I wanted to tell you," started Obito, his voice still shaking badly, "for so long."_

_Kakashi rose an eyebrow at his friend's comment, but continued listening intently. 'What's he talking about,' thought Kakashi. "What is it," asked Kakashi quickly. _

"_I…I…" Obito stammered, but a shout from the encampment broke up their conversation. Rain had begun to trickle down from the sky, breaking through the leafless trees and hitting the snowy ground, turning it into a watery slush. _

"_Kakashi," came the call again. Kakashi looked back towards the encampment and then back to Obito. He kneeled down on Obito's level, helping him to his feet so they were at eye level._

"_Tell me later okay," said Kakashi. Obito calmed himself down quickly, his breathing becoming normal again and his eyes clearing up. He nodded at Kakashi and followed him back to camp. The ANBU had been startled by something and one in particular was motioning Kakashi up a tree. Kakashi quickly leapt from trunk to trunk until he landed on the branch the ANBU sat. "What's the problem," he asked. The ANBU said nothing but handed a pair of binoculars to Kakashi, motioning for him to take them. Kakashi grasped them and put them up to his eyes, staring off into the distance. His eyes went wide as a black shape came into view. He focused the lenses more, trying to get a specific picture of what was coming over the horizon. It was a man, completely shrouded in a black cloak, his features hidden under a black hood. He was slowly walking towards their encampment, a strong wind beginning to billow and sway the dark shroud that covered him. The rain was beginning to come down hard in a heavy sleet that obscured his view, fogging the binoculars badly. Kakashi handed the binoculars back to the ANBU. "That's the guy we saw a week ago," said Kakashi._

"_Do we take him out," asked the ANBU._

"_He hasn't done anything to warrant that," replied Kakashi, "but send two squads to flank him when he enters the forest, and keep a tight circle around the area, there may be more of them. He could just be a lost civilian though; in any case keep your eyes open." The ANBU nodded at Kakashi's orders and bounded back down the tree. Kakashi watched as the dark blip came closer over the horizon. He still remembered how Obito had been so shaken by the stranger, and he could feel an odd anticipation in the pit of his stomach. His own instincts were telling him that they should just strike the man down and continue on like nothing happened. Kakashi shrugged the feeling off and jumped down to the forest floor, landing in the slush with a wet thud._

"_Well," came Obito. Kakashi looked behind him to see Obito standing there, looking slightly apprehensive himself, fidgeting in a restless motion. _

"_Seems like we're going to find out who that man we saw a week ago was," replied Kakashi, "he's coming this way." Obito's eyes went wide at this, but he quickly tried to hide it, turning his back to Kakashi, acting like he had something in his eye. Kakashi turned his head and stared as the cloaked figure came closer to the campsite. Around him, the sound of fires being smothered, nin readying their weapons, and the ANBU taking their positions swirled around him. He felt a quick squeeze of his shoulders followed by a quick peck on his cheek as Tiara ran away from in front of him, leading a small ANBU team towards the flank. Kakashi smiled softly but quickly came back to reality, running up a nearby tree with Gai, both of them watching with eager anticipation as the stranger came to the edge of the forest. There was an ominous silence now, their years of training rendering them invisible to the senses as they blended in with the shadows of the forest, masking their sounds with the strong wind that billowed and whistled through the forest. The rain had given them an advantage now, disrupting not only their sight, but the sight of the stranger. 'Is he alone,' thought Kakashi, slowly pulling a kunai from his belt, 'is he even a ninja?' His eyes drifted to the tree opposite him where Obito and a few ANBU were waiting, he gave them a hand signal for the ANBU to drop to the floor. They nodded and silently came down to the ground, coming to the side of the stranger. _

_Kakashi looked over at Obito; he was shuddering again, his eyes in full Sharingan staring intently at the figure that was slowly entering the encampment. He was clad completely in a black cloak that shrouded over him completely. Kakashi could the edge of a very pale face underneath the cloak. From what he could see, his face was very thin, with the skin emphasizing on the cheekbones and cleft chin. His lips were thing as well, and appeared grey. His face almost seemed devoid of life, while the rest of him remained obscure. Kakashi looked deeper at the stranger and was startled that no rain even seemed to be touching him. His cloak shuddered only in the wind but did not appear wet; almost like he was a passing specter through this world, journeying to the next. Kakashi's instincts were flaring now, apprehension and a feeling of dread shooting around him. He pushed those feeling aside as well, concentrating hard for any signs of other persons. He didn't see any, just a lone stranger walking slowly into their encampment. His head snapped over to Gai, nodding slowly. Gai nodded back and shot a quick hand signal to the ANBU on the ground. The stranger had just entered their encampment now and was kneeling down to examine a fire that had been hastily put out. He ran his fingers over the black soot as steam shot off the fire, the rain evaporating off the still hot stone and logs of the burn pits. He rubbed some of the soot between his bony fingers before standing again. Just like his face, the skin on his hand was sickly pale and seemed lifeless. Long fingernails that ended in a slight curve ended his fingers, resembling claws. His hands retreated back under his cloak before continuing on in the encampment. _

_Suddenly, the ANBU sprung from the bushes, a sword drawn from the lead that was shoved hastily against the back of the stranger; strong enough to put pressure but not pierce the skin. "Hands up, slowly," ordered the ANBU. The stranger stopped, but no other indication that he heard the ANBU was noticed. "I said hands up," commanded the ANBU again, putting slightly more pressure on the blade. The stranger did nothing at first, but then slowly raised his hands to the sides of him. His arms were covered in the a dark cloth that gripped his skin tightly, the light muscles underneath contorting and twisting against it as he rose his arms to shoulder level. He then stopped and brought his arms closer together to each other in front of him. "I said on your head," roared the ANBU, his voice beginning to show annoyance towards the stranger. Without warning, the strangers hands began to form rapid seals in front of him so quick that they weren't even able to decipher what he was doing. _

"_Seals," shouted an ANBU in front of the stranger. The ANBU behind plunged his sword into the stranger's chest, coming out the other end in a sickly, wet piercing sound. The stranger shuddered for a moment but then went limp, supported only by the ANBU's sword. Kakashi sighed deeply; he had wanted some information first, but the ANBU got excited too quickly. 'Maybe it was for the best,' thought Kakashi, 'after all he was-' Kakashi's eyes went wide as the stranger's legs recuperated themselves and he twisted his body quickly, ripping the sword from the ANBU's hands as ii stuck in his body. 'What the hell,' thought Kakashi. There was a similar reaction amongst the other ANBU as they watched the stranger complete the seals he had been making. The ANBU behind him quickly threw everything they had at him, kunai, shuriken, blades, anything that could be thrown. Everything stuck in his back, cutting deep into his flesh, but the stranger didn't even seem to notice it as the impact rocked his body. Slowly, his hands reached up to his hood and pulled it down, revealing a very short, spiky cut on his head, and a long, silvery ponytail that draped down his back. _

_The man mumbled something softly in a cold, melancholy voice. The ANBU around him charged forward, readying to rip the stranger to shreds, swords outstretched to cut the man to ribbons. Kakashi jumped down from his perch just as something began to snake under the stranger's bodysuit. It quickly circled around his arms before bursting out from them in a stream of flesh and dark, red blood. Horribly dark chains erupted from the man's arms and back, moving of their own will as they snaked outward with blinding speed, catching several of the ANBU as they charged forward, their clinking metal reverberating through the air. They wrapped around the ANBU like ropes, hurtling them into the air, or piercing through them, cutting and tearing them limb from limb as blood spattered the ground around the area followed quickly by the remains of the corpses. Kakashi charged forward amidst the battle, signaling the rest of the encampment to follow suit. Out of the bushes and trees flooded many ANBU lead by the four Jounin there. Kakashi drew his hand to his back and pulled back his family's short sword from its holster, readying it for an assault. _

_The stranger threw the cloak backwards, forming a long cape behind him as he stood defiantly before the group. He was wearing an odd mesh armor that covered his body completely. His eyes were covered with a dark, black bandana that circled around his head. His hands came out in front of him again as he rapidly formed strange seals, his pale hands being blurred in front of him as the chains wrapped in front of him, deflecting the many shuriken and kunai that headed straight towards him, bouncing off with a clang and spark of steel on steel. He moved his hands quickly, collecting blood off a chain onto his thumb before he slammed his hand into the ground, forming a large seal around the area. Suddenly, thousands of black shapes sprung forth from the ground, tearing into the air amidst a cacophony of shrieks and squawks. They covered the sky, billowing out in the stormy air before diving back to earth. Thousands upon thousands of red-eyed ravens were screaming towards them_

"_Damn" yelled Kakashi, quickly backing up from the black mass that was approaching them, "Gai, Obito, see if you can give me an opening." Kakashi settled back, directly in front of the stranger, readying his most powerful attack. He could feel the chakra begin to swell within his hand as he watched Gai and Obito go to work._

_Obito came forward to the flock of birds that descended upon them, his Sharingan in full blaze as he formed the seals for his clan's signature jutsu. "Great Fireball jutsu," yelled Obito as a gigantic flame came out of his mouth, burning the ravens to ashes in midair, theirfiery carcasses falling lifelessly to the ground. More came at them as Obito repeated the jutsu, trying desperately to destroy the flocks of birds. The ANBU were struggling with the stranger, as the chains grabbed and pulled apart anyone who approached him. Kakashi blocked the screams from his mind, desperately trying to concentrate as he could now see the chakra begin to crackle and burn madly in the air, forming a bright, light at the end of his hand that bolted outward like lightning. _

_Gai moved into the fray, dodging and contorting his body around the chains that shot snake-like out towards him. He came under the barrage of steel that ripped from the skin of the stranger to come face to face with the black-clad man himself. "Konoha Senpuu," he roared as he brought a fierce whirlwind kick to land against the stranger. The man rose a hand to block the kick on his forearm, the impact shaking both the stanger and Gai's bodies. Obito saw his chance and came in on the opposite side, readying another blast of fire that shot forth from his mouth in an orange blaze that hissed and screamed through the air towards the stranger. The stranger's head did not move, but he motioned with his other hand towards the flames as every one of the chains went straight for Obito, desperately attempting to beat and block the giant fireball that was hurtling towards the stranger. Kakashi's eyes went wide as he saw his opportunity. He charged forward at blinding speed, a fiery, white light crackling and screeching through the air, drowning out the cackling of the ravens that surrounded them. He pumped his legs harder, forcing his body to move faster than he had ever before as his feet barely touched the watery ground now as he came closer and closer to his target. The stranger was busy keeping Obito and Gai at bay and did not seem to notice Kakashi streaking towards him. Kakashi came within range of him and thrust his hand forward. The stranger pushed Gai away fiercely and attempted to grasp Kakashi's outstretched arm, the dark, grey chains still ripping out from under his skin. Kakashi concentrated on his target, driving himself forward with all his might, burying the screeching light into the man's chest. Kakashi could hear the man's breath leave him as Kakashi continued to drive the Chidori forward to the other side of the man's body, feeling the man's heart disintegrate in his hand. He continued charging forward, driving the man's body forcefully forward, bringing his arm completely out the other side of the man's back, the dark bandana falling from the man's eyes. He pressed his feet hard against the slippery ground and threw the man's body from his arm, the momentum carrying it hard against a tree as the body slumped to the ground face first in a heap of blood and flesh. The chains that had surrounded him fell limp and crumbled to ash on the ground and the flocks of ravens that surrounded them flew off away from the forest. _

_Kakashi breathed heavily, the hot air from his breath cooling into a smoke in the air. Gai and Obito joined on either side of him, surveying the scene. Most of the ANBU had been shredded and ripped to pieces, their blood slowly washing and diluting into the mud that had formed beneath them. Only seven of the original group remained. Tiara came up from behind Kakashi, cuts and abrasions littering her face where some of the birds had gotten to close. She placed a reassuring hand on Kakashi's shoulder which he squeezed back. Gai breathed a sigh of relief. "What was he," Gai asked. He didn't receive an answer, as Kakashi wasn't even sure. The entire group wore an expression of relief though, mixed with the shock of losing such a large number. _

_Kakashi relaxed his position, moving to the closest corpse, checking for any signs of life amongst the fallen. The rest did the same, checking pulses. Some had miraculously survived, though most of those would die soon. Kakashi punched the ground in frustration. "This many," he said aloud, "I should have been more careful. Dammit!" He looked up at Obito, looking for some kind of reassurance from his friend, but Obito's attention remained on the corpse of the stranger. His eyes were wide, and his mouth hung open in an expression of surprise and utter terror. _

"_Gai," Obito said, his voice shaking, "get back." Kakashi looked over towards the stranger's corpse. Gai was checking on a fallen ANBU in that direction. The corpse still lay face down on the ground, blood oozing slowly from the wound Kakashi had made. "GET BACK!" Gai looked up from his position, turning his back to the corpse of the stranger, shooting Obito a perplexed expression. Suddenly, a chain sprung forth from the ground, grabbing Gai by the leg and hurling him into the air, ramming him hard into the trunk of a tree with a gigantic crack. Blood shot from Gai's mouth and his body slumped motionless to the ground. _

"_What in the hell," said Kakashi as the corpse of the stranger began to move again. It rammed a hand hard into the muddy ground, followed by the other as he pushed himself back up. Brown mud slid from his face as he stared at them with completely white orbs that stood where his eyes should have been. He slowly got to his feet, the gaping wound still prominent in his chest. The stranger groaned slightly as he stood up, the muddy water dripping slowly from his body, his pale skin coming through again. _

_The stranger felt down his torso until his fingers reached the still bleeding hole in his chest. He placed both hands slowly over the wound, covering it completely. Kakashi watched in horror as the blood began to seep back into the wound. Bone began to reform, his ribcage and sternum slowly reforming themselves, a new beating heart encased within them. Muscle began to form over that, until finally the skin regeneratedleaving a giant gap in the clothing where Kakashi's hand pierced through. _

_Kakashi was frozen, his mind in utter shock. He wanted to run from this man, run as far as possible, but his legs refused to respond. Corpses of his fallen comrades slowly seeped farther and farther into the mud, the earth welcoming them back into its bosom. "Holy shit," came Obito's shaky voice from behind them. Kakashi's breathing was becoming sporadic, his heart beating like a jackhammer, shooting the ice cold fear throughout his body._

"_That's impossible," he said aloud, wanting his words to come true, "no one can heal that kind of wound." He quickly shot himself back to his senses, but began to back away slowly, his mind quickly racing for some type of answer to this phenomenon. 'It must a genjutsu of some sort,' thought Kakashi, 'but then Obito would see it. Maybe it's an odd bunshin, but still, Obito's Sharingan…what the hell is this thing.'_

_The stranger raised a single hand slowly into the air, a chain still connected to the shredded skin around it. It shot forward towards Kakashi, bearing down upon as it whistled and clinked in the storm that had enveloped him. Kakashi back flipped away, but the chain caught him by the ankle in midair, hurling him high into the air. He contorted his body, driving a kunai against the hard steel with a loud clang. It only succeeded in dulling the kunai as he dangled in the air by one leg. His mind raced again, searching desperately for an answer. He began to perform the seals for the Chidori again, readying his attack in hopes that it would cut the chain. His hand burst to life as the chakra sprung forth from it. He drove his fingers against the chain hard, and it contorted and twisted against his hand, responding lifelike, as if it was actually feeling pain. The chain released Kakashi and allowed him to fall to the ground as it quickly retracted beneath the stranger's skin, burrowing deep into his body. The skin from which it penetrated outward began resmoothing itself as the blood seeped back into the wound. Panic was beginning to overtake Kakashi as he realized the magnitude of the situation. Here stood an enemy that showed no visible means of defeat. Its wounds healed quickly, and it seemed like there was no way to defeat it. He had never felt like this before, helpless, against a force he did not recognize and did not know how to beat. Kakashi's brain froze, his mind no longer processing rational thought. He could not think. He allowed the kunai to slip from his fingertips to hit the cold ground with a wet thud. His eyes went wide, like a beast before a hunter, knowing its time had come. _

_Out of the corner of his eye something was moving past him, driving itself forward towards the stranger. It was odd how the stranger never moved his head or eyes to follow the shape but instead stood perfectly still. Tiara came up from behind him, jumping high into the air, a long katana above her head ready to cleave the stranger in two. The stranger still did nothing, it was almost as if he didn't see Tiara coming towards him or didn't bother to care. She yelled a warcry as she came down upon the stranger, but he sidestepped her attack with amazing speed, his legs resteadying themselves and propelling his body towards Tiara. Kakashi watched as the stranger's hand encased Tiara's head completely, his long, bony fingers clamped vice-like against the side of her head. He brought his other hand to his lips in an odd seal, closed his eyes and began chanting something softly. Tiara brought the blade back up to slice the stranger's arm off, but she stopped suddenly mid swing. Her entire body convulsed sporadically, and the sword dropped from her hands. Her body twitched and shuddered as the stranger's lips moved faster, uttering some strange lyric repeatedly, his words too soft to hear. Suddenly, Tiara's body went limp and slumped on her knees. The stranger caught her in his arms and cradled her limp body in his hands, turning his back to Kakashi…Kakashi…Kakashi_

"Kakashi," came the voice again. A hand gently closed on Kakashi's shoulder, shaking him slightly. Kakashi's senses sent him into full alert, his mind still enveloped in his memories as he threw the arm off of him and slammed the figure into the doors of the hotel, shuddering the building itself. Tsunade winced painfully before kicking Kakashi off her hard into the snow, skidding his body across it. The pain in his stomach brought Kakashi back to reality as he looked with surprise at Tsunade, who was coughing loudly, her hand clenched around her throat. "What the hell was that for," she said, her voice becoming enraged again.

"I…um…" stammered Kakashi. He felt ashamed of himself, allowing his emotions to grip him so hard. "I'm sorry," he said finally, coming back to his old self, "It's…it's been a hard day."

"This isn't like you Kakashi," said Tsunade, some of the anger in her voice being replaced with concern, "are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he said regaining his usual lackadaisical composure, "I'm just tired. I haven't had a good night sleep in a while." Tsunade stared at Kakashi, a look of utter confusion on her face, mixed with apprehension He began to walk away, looking towards his room in the distance.

"I don't know what happened back there Kakashi," yelled Tsunade after him, "but it shouldn't interfere with your duties. I'm going need your help." Kakashi waved a hand back at her but refused to turn around. The shame of losing himself like that still bore within him, along with the shame and feeling of helplessness he felt back then. He continued to walk under the night sky, as sleet began to rain down on top of him, turning the snow into a dark slush.

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"C'mon Kimiko," said the largest ANBU, "we've checked and rechecked this spot a hundred times. What the hell are you looking for?" They had just reached what remained of Daibuken. A heavy sleet was beginning to cover the remains of the town and any chance they had of catching their suspect.

"Anything we've missed," Kimiko yelled back at him, "I've got too strong a lead to just give up on this now. The Raikage said we should recheck this area, and if you don't trust my judgment, you should trust his." Her long hair was frozen to her back, and her ANBU mask was beginning to grow heavy as more of the sleet stuck to it. She had taken only three from her team with her, fearful of what the Raikage had said before of an internal faction seeking to tear down the Hidden Cloud. She had been careful only to take her closest ANBU, those she could really trust in a situation like this. She prowled amongst some debris as she heard the grumblings of her comrades behind her. She wandered through the house they had found the little girl in; all that remained of it was a black, pile of burnt debris. She down at the broken, cellar door they had found Megumi under, quivering in fear. She always felt horrible for that girl, growing up in the world with everything that had been hers taken away in a single instant. Kimiko shoved the thought from her mind and continued on, looking for any clues to the perpetrators of the crime. She looked past the cellar door towards two large holes farther back in the house. It looked like those two spots had been broken down into. She shined a small light on the holes, and something glimmered back at her. She went closer to the farthest hole and looked down at the cragged wood. Attached to one of the sharp splinters, something red was glimmering back at her, reflecting the light off perfectly. She picked up the small piece of red from the splinter and held it closer to her eyes. It was very small, and had an odd scaly design on it that Kimiko had never seen before. She pocketed it quickly before returning to find her comrades.

"Tseng, Jirobe, I found something," she yelled out to them, but no answer came back to her. "Tseng, Jirobe," she said louder, still no answer. She walked closer to where they had stood last time. She shone a light in the direction of the debris they had been previously working on as it shone slowly across a red stream that slowly trickled into the snow. She traced the small flow back to the bodies of her comrades, both of them staring lifeless up at the sky as blood dribble down the sides of their masks. Kimiko's eyes went wide and her heart began to race. She dropped the light immediately and pulled a long sword from her back, her eyes searching for any signs of movement. She heard something land against the snow behind her, and she turned around to see another ANBU behind her, a red streak running down a sword he carried across his back, small droplets of blood coming off the tip to slowly hit the ground. Suddenly, several other ANBU appeared around her, all bearing the Hidden Cloud insignia. 'What the hell,' she thought. "What's the meaning of this," she yelled. She looked around her as seven ANBU she did not recognize closed in around her, drawing weapons as they stepped slowly towards her.

"Nothing personal dear," said the one in front of her, "but we can't allow one person to ruin something that has taken us so long to accomplish. So sorry." They charged forward, their weapons drawn, ready to tear Kimiko to shreds…

A/N: Thanks for the many reviews I've received. I have surpassed 200, so I guess I'm in some special, nonexistant club or something. Thanks for all the support. I'm entering this story in a type of fanfiction contest because, well, I'm a press whore. Anyway, the contest is at for the fun of it. I don't know if it's posted up yet, but we'll see. Thanks again to all the reviewers, and hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	26. Part 44: The Legacy of Thunder and Light...

Part 4.4: The Legacy of Thunder and Lightning

Kimiko's head snapped back and forth, looking at the group of nin that had surrounded her in the rubble that remained of Daibuken. What was left of her group lay butchered to the side of her, and now a circle of seven, unknown ANBU had surrounded her completely. Her heart was beating fast, rushing blood to her entire body. A single, katana was gripped firmly in her hands in front of her, ready for the imminent attack that would come. The ANBU seemed hesitant, whether it was from fear or if they were planning something she did not know. All she realized was that she was badly outnumbered and was likely going to die amongst the corpses that had already been slain here. She steadied her nerves, sending chakra through her body and tensed herself for the upcoming fight. 'I have far too much to live for to die to these scum,' she thought to herself. She placed her feet shoulder width apart and brought the sword in front of her in a defensive position as one of the ANBU broke rank and streaked towards her. She swung wide, missing him. He shuffled under her and drove his own blade into her stomach. The ANBU could hear her breath leave her body as he shot her a satisfied smile. Suddenly, her body began to turn white, and a cold sensation was washing out of it. The ANBU recoiled in surprise as he pulled his sword from a pile of snow, the mask all that remained of his target. He stepped back quickly, but a shape burst through the air from under him with a sliver of light being drawn in front of it, diving into the night sky, pushing itself out of the circle.

The ANBU watched as Kimiko landed gracefully in the snow out of the circle, facing the group. Her eyes burned with fury as she shot them a wry smile. A small groan escaped from the lips of the ANBU in the center that had attack her kawarimi. The others turned to face him just as a sliver of blood appeared in between his body. He suddenly divided into two halves down the center, which fell onto the ground in a heap of blood. A heavy sleet was beginning come down hard, freezing her hair to her back. She plucked a needle from her belt and wrapped her hair around it in a tight bun on her head. The ANBU were beginning to regroup again. 'Six now,' she thought, 'still far too many to take.' Suddenly, they rushed forward simultaneously, their footsteps crunching loudly against the wet slush underfoot.

Kimiko's eyes darted for some means of escape, her eyes coming to rest on the bluffs she had seen the two assailants retreat when she first arrived here. She darted for them, the rogue ANBU following close behind her. The bluffs on this area were covered in slush, and she knew she would be easy to track on this terrain. A small plateau of trees came overhead and she rushed forward for them. The ANBU gave chase, the scuffling of snow against the wind filling the silent void that had been present before. She jumped quickly to the nearest branch of a tree, driving herself forward, the clattering of the wood behind her growing louder as her pursuers grew closer.

"Ninpo, Thunder Element," shouted one of the ANBU behind her, "Storm Spread!" Kimiko dove through the air, spinning around so that she was now looking at her the ANBU behind her. Suddenly, thousands of small bolts of lightning came at her, whistling and crackling in the air. Kimiko quickly placed her sword between her teeth and began to perform seals of her own.

"Ninpo, Earth Element," she roared, "Earth Barrier!" A massive slab of ground beneath her cape upwards, breaking through the branches of the trees as the bolts of lightning hit against it, dissipating quickly as her pursuers made their way around it towards Kimiko again.

Kimiko let the sword drop down back into her hands from her teeth, grasping the hilt tightly as she rolled in midair and kicked hard off another branch, pushing herself further into the forested area. 'I've got to finish this before I get to the bluffs,' she thought excitedly, 'there's no cover there.' Her thoughts quickly came back to her pursuers as dozens of kunai and shuriken rocketed by her, sticking in nearby branches and trees with a loud thud. She kicked in the air and rolled back on her back, using the sword to deflect the oncoming projectiles. The metal clanked off her blade, causing momentary sparks in the darkness that engulfed the area. For brief moments she saw flashes of the figures of her pursuers. They fought like Thunder ANBU and they dressed in the same manner as her.

Suddenly, her shoulders rammed hard into a thick branch behind her. Her entire body convulsed against the sudden force as she gritted her teeth hard in reflex as a shockwave of pain came through her neck and dispersed down to her feet. She began to freefall downward through the air towards the ground. One of the ANBU had broken off and was driving straight towards her, a long blade of his own extended out in front of him in a stabbing motion. Kimiko quickly dug her blade into the trunk of the tree she had hit in a diagonal stab. Her momentum carried her around the tree, the metal of the blade cutting around the tree in a circular motion as the blade bent from her weight. Her momentum brought her around the tree completely to the back of the ANBU. She pulled the sword from the tree with a grunt and dug it into the back of her pursuer, ramming it hard into his back and out his gullet, a wet, sickly gasp confirming her sword had hit it's mark well. She pulled it quickly out to the side as a rush of blood followed the red glittering across her blade. The ANBU fell to the ground, breaking small branches on his way to the forest floor, leaving a heavy trail of blood in its wake. '5' thought Kimiko before kicked off again, still sensing the other ANBU were above her, rapidly coming down from the trees towards her. She quickly shoved the katana onto the holster on her back; she needed her hands free for what she was about to do. She reached down to her belt and pulled out four kunai and four explosive notes. Her mind was becoming fatigued from the many signals it had to send out; the pain in her neck; the constant pushing out of her legs, propelling her away from her pursuers; the rolling of the explosive notes around the handle of the kunai. 'I'm only going to have one shot at this,' she thought, nimbly rolling another note around the handle of another kunai.

Another barrage whistled through the air behind her as the ANBU released another bevy of kunai and shuriken. She dodged and contorted her body, trying to keep her mind on the task at hand. However, a kunai whizzed past her legs and hit dead on her right shoulder, driving the tip straight through the other side. A muffled scream escaped Kimiko's mouth where she bit down hard on the cold metal of the kunai. Her fingers snapped open reflexively, one of the kunai dropping from her hands to fall harmlessly to the forest floor. Kimiko struggled to keep her eyes open, which were not tearing badly from the pain. She took her free hand and pulled the end of the kunai from her shoulder. Blood dripped freely from it and the excruciating pain in her body almost made her pass out, but she kept her mind awake. She threw the kunai behind her into the darkness and was rewarded with a muffled shout as she heard another body crash back towards the earth. She thanked whatever deity had allowed that lucky shot to hit its mark and continued with her task. Bolts of thunder were beginning to shoot out from behind her, the ANBU obviously getting impatient as shouts of different thunder jutsus were heard behind her. She jumped from side to side when she could, trying to keep her body moving randomly through the air. She finally completed her task, holding three explosive kunai in her hand. Her right shoulder was still bleeding heavily, making her good arm practically useless in a fight. She concentrated hard, using the pain to keep her mind alert and focused. She squinted in the distance, the bluffs coming ever closer, where no cover would protect her from the ANBU, and they would have a very clear shot at her. She held the kunai in between the fingers of her left hand and closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again, flinging the explosive kunai in front of her. Each one hit a separate tree on the edge of the forest. She pushed herself harder, kicking faster and faster as she saw the trademark puff of smoke that showed the explosive note had become active. She edged herself out of the forest into the open air. She grasped and flailed as she fell towards the snowy bluffs. She landed hard in the snow, getting quickly to her feet. Her assailants had just reached the edge of the forest when a massive explosion rocked the edge of the trees. The giant trunks collapsed one on top of the other, forming a huge avalanche of trees to fall upon the ANBU. She covered her eyes as the shockwave of the impact sent snow sprawling in her direction, the cold flakes burning in her nostrils.

There was silence again, the only audible sound was her breathing in the air, coming out in a broken shudder as her hot breath cooled into the bitter, sulfurous air. Her nostrils bit at the smell of burning wood, contrasting heavily against the cold, senseless snow. She used her free hand to grasp her bad shoulder, placing as much pressure as possible on it to halt the bleeding. She walked closer to the pile that lay steaming on the ANBU, a sense of relief washing over her. However, a log began to move amidst the pile, then another, and another. Three ANBU clawed their way out of the avalanche of wood that was on top of them, their masks shattered, as well as some arms and legs. They gingerly leapt over the remaining debris and slowly stalked towards her, whatever remaining weapons they had held high. Kimiko was tired of this and felt an immense anger and sense of frustration well within her. She painfully raised her right hand to meet her left in a seal. She formed several as the ANBU approached. This move would drain a large portion of her chakra, but she didn't care, she just wanted this chase to end. She slammed her open hands into the ground, wincing slightly as the pain moved up her right arm. Snow kicked into the air as she yelled her jutsu. "Ninpo," she shouted, "Water Element, Snow Spires." A sound resembling the crack of ice began to fill the air as the snow under the ANBUs' feet began to grow thick. Small sprouts began to form under them, causing a slight ribbing underneath them. All of the sudden, the small sprouts shot upwards in thin spikes, piercing through the ANBU uniforms as the icy pikes surrounded their bodies, piercing every part of them as they carried their corpses into the air, blood dripping very slowly down to the center.

Kimiko finally breathed a small sigh of relief as she approached the ANBU. She removed the belt around her waist and pulled it tight around her shoulder, stopping the flow of blood painfully. "Dammit," she thought, "I should have expected an ambush; the Raikage told me to be careful." She came closer to the ANBU, hoping for any clues to what they were, or to the assailants. One of the ANBU clutched something in his blood soaked hand, his arm steadied by many icy pyres sticking through it. Static was emitting from his hand, followed by a deep, muffled voice, shouting something incoherent. She opened the hand up to see a small, grey, two way transceiver. A deep voice came from the other side.

"Kaina…wha…ing on," came the voice another time. The voice sounded familiar, but the static was too loud to place it. She picked it up with her good arm and held it close to her ear. "Kai…shi, did you kill her," came the voice again, "Gram…at the hell…ing on." Kimiko took in a sharp breath as her mind finally registered the voice on the other side. She dropped the transmitter in shock, backing slowly away from it, like it would attack her at any second. Her mouth gaped open wide, her deep cerulean eyes staring blankly at the transceiver. 'That can't be,' she thought, 'no…no that's impossible. This must be a mistake…it can't be!' But her mind had already come to realize the truth. The man's voice was the Raikage's, the head of the Hidden Cloud and most powerful nin in the village. She couldn't think, her mind had completely snapped as what was left of her fragmented world came crumbling down on top of her. Everything was fitting together. The assailants couldn't be tracked because they were working for the Raikage. The ANBU here knew where to wait for her because the Raikage had ordered her there. Everything added up. She didn't know what to do, so she ran. She ran farther into the bluffs, her mind racing for something to grasp onto. All she could think of was Raan, as she ran through the bluffs towards the horizon.

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"Kainashi, did you kill her" asked the Raikage again into static of the receiver held in his hand, "Kainashi, what the hell is going on?" There was no reply. The Raikage listened intently for any noise, any signs that his ANBU were alive. Suddenly, he heard very labored breathing at the other end. It sounded panicked and very sharp, the air whistling against a congested throat. He then heard the sound of the receiver falling in the ground with a wet thud, followed by the quick crunching of sleet as someone ran away from the receiver. The Raikage shook with rage, crushing the small, grey box in his hand. He opened his palm and allowed the debris to fall to the ground in pieces.

"Damn," he said to himself. He raised one hand to his head and took off his triangular hat, placing in on his long, desk. He walked over to a particular row of candles and grabbed one, pulling it down harshly. A section of the wall rose into the air with a mechanical clank, revealing a black, passageway. The air was cold inside of it, leading to the outside of the city where the wind howled at the end of the long tunnel. He allowed his yellow robe to slide off his shoulders and fall to the ground, revealing him in full battle attire.

"If you want something done right…" said the Raikage as he ran full tilt through the tunnel to the bluffs on the outside.

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Tsunade awoke from her slumber, the sunlight of a breaking dawn cutting through the curtains of the window and splashing down on her face. She groaned as she slowly pulled the sheets off of her, dreading what was about to come. She had grown to hate her meetings with the pompous bastard the Raikage, but if there was a sliver of hope left for this treaty to work, she had to take it. She slowly turned out of bed and dug her feet into the heated carpet, grateful for the fact that at least Thunder Capitol knew how to treat guests. She pushed herself up and headed for the bathroom, preparing herself for the usual morning ritual. She opened the bathroom door and observed herself in the mirror. The age-changing jutsu was beginning to wear off again, wrinkles appearing on her otherwise unblemished face. Her hands had begun to thin again, become slightly varicose. She let out a tired sigh as she stared at her figure, aging before her eyes. "How cruel life is," she said to her reflection, feeling the patches of skin and wrinkles that permeated on her cheeks and under her eyes. "How come people have to look so different as they get older? Why can't they keep the same youthful looks they used to possess? And why can't things always go my way? Anytime I do win it's usually followed by a very unsettling event of some sort. Life's always dealt me a bad hand, but I've just got to keep anteing into the pot; maybe today will be different." She formed a few basic seals and pressed her hands to her chest, the wrinkles on her face and arms slowly disappearing, revealing a youthful visage staring back at her. She stretched the skin on her cheeks and allowed it to bounce back before smiling at her rejuvenated self. "If I didn't have to deal with children, ninjas, and pompous assholes everyday, I might just win a few contests with these looks." She turned from the mirror and began readying herself for what she knew would be another stressful day.

Tsunade walked closer and closer to the Jade Palace. 'You know,' she thought, 'if that jerk didn't live here, I might actually consider this place quite beautiful.' The sunlight gave the impression that the entire building was alight in a gigantic green flame that reflected onto the city, giving the entire area an eerily stunning green glow. She made the transition from the deep slush from the previous night onto the well polished Jade floor as her heels clicked loudly against the stone echoing loudly in the air. This sound had become synonymous with Tsunade and a flock of servants rushed to greet her and clean the area before her, giving her the usual droll chitchat of how her sleep was, and what a beautiful day it was in the glorious Thunder Capitol. She had no patience for them today, but focused on the gigantic double doors that led to the Raikage's inner sanctum. However, today a familiar servant was standing in front of them, blocking her path.

"Greetings Hokage-sama," he said, bowing graciously as Tsunade came closer, "unfortunately, his lordship, the Raikage-sama is not in at the moment, but I'm sure he will return in due time." Tsunade was taken aback by this as the Raikage was not anything if not punctual. It wasn't like him to be late for a meeting he scheduled.

"Where is he," asked Tsunade, an air of curiosity and suspicion in her voice. The servant rolled his eyes back and forth quickly, an obvious sign that he was making up something very quickly. Tsunade crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently, the sound causing beads of sweat to roll down the servant's head, giving Tsunade a feeling of vindictive pleasure.

"He is…um…out," the servant stammered out, "attending affairs…for the Hidden Cloud. He should be back soon…or not. I'm not really sure you see. His visits to the Hidden Cloud can be so…long." He began laughing nervously, pulling at his collar as his face turned very red.

'Whoever this guy is,' thought Tsunade, 'he's a very bad liar.' "Well then," began Tsunade, "the Raikage won't mind if I wait for him inside." She moved the stuttering man out of the way and grasped one of the handles on the large double doors.

"NO!" shouted the man, eliciting odd looks from the other servants who were shooting them sideways glances from their usual, menial duties. The small man was stammering badly now, his legs buckling under him so much that Tsunade could hear his knees knock together. "T-T-The Raik-kage does…does not wish anyone, even you Hokage-sama…to…Hokage-sama…to be in his…most…honorable and sac-cred domain."

"Why not," replied Tsunade growing annoyed with the small, pudgy servant, "I've been in there before. It's not like I'll be seeing anything new." She began to pull slightly on the door, the braces giving way and opening before the small man dived in front of them and began furiously pushing against her formidable strength.

"PLEASE HOKAGE-SAMA," shouted the little man, a look of sheer terror in his eyes now, "I BEG OF YOU! He does not wish for anyone to be in his sacred quarters without him there personally. Please Hokage-sama. I beg of you, please." The small man was on his knees now, prostrating himself at Tsunade's feet.

Tsunade stared at the pudgy man prostrating himself before her. 'What kind of a hold does this guy have over you,' thought Tsunade. She reluctantly let go of the door handle and took a few steps back, allowing the servant to come shakily to his feet. "Alright," she said, "I'll wait for him to return."

"Oh thank you Hokage-sama," replied the servant, bowing deeply again, "In return, perhaps you would like to see The Temple of Legacy?"

"What's that," asked Tsunade, still staring at the massive double-doors standing before her.

"It is a most amazing place," continued the servant, his arms moving in a very flamboyant manner, "it is off access to the public and is kept tended by a regiment of the most pious of monks. It is quite possibly the most holy place in our entire land. It is where we house the giant statues of Raikages past, and also the Everlasting Bolt of Thunder, placed here with a special jutsu by the Second, Izou Kai. It is most amazing, and I could take Hokage-sama to it while she waits for the lord Raikage to return." The servant was fidgeting badly again, seeming to hope beyond hope that Tsunade would remove herself from the Jade Palace until the Raikage returned. Tsunade stared at the little man, but finally gave in, nodding in agreement to the man's request. "Splendid," squealed the small man, clapping his hands vigorously, "I shall take you to it immediately. Follow me Hokage-sama." The little man strode off as fast as his tiny legs could carry him out the main entrance to the Jade Palace.

Tsunade watched him from a distance before following. 'Where the hell is he anyway,' thought Tsunade, 'it's not like him to miss an opportunity to make my life more difficult. Still, it's odd.' The thought consumed her mind as she followed the pudgy, little man towards the center of the giant city.

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Kimiko stumbled across though the deep slush that covered the area, clutching her still bleedings shoulder tightly. She was back in the forested area, retracing her steps back towards Thunder Capitol. She had bandaged the wound up as best she could, but it had been too deep to heal completely. She was completely exhausted, having to pull out every big move and trick she knew to defeat the seven ANBU who attacked her, but the mental taxing was far worse. She was still in shock over events and revelations that had hit her so fast it felt like she had been slammed repeatedly into a brick wall. 'The Raikage,' she thought, not even wanting to believe her own words, 'a traitor. How? Why would he do something like this? Why did he want to protect those assailants so badly?' However, a far worse thought entered her mind. 'Was Raan in on this too? He has been close to the Raikage for some time. Would he betray me?' She stopped running and slowly came to a stop, leaning hard against a tree, sliding down it's trunk to sit down at its base.

Her breath had become very shuddered and labored, inhaling the cold air burning her throat. Every breath felt like her lungs were secreting acid that burned and churned within her; she had run for hours, not stopping, not daring to look back. Her entire world had come crashing down on her in a matter of minutes, and she could not believe what had happened. "I can't stop," she said aloud, "I have to warn the clan of the Raikage's treachery. And…I have to know." Things were beginning to become clearer to her. Raan's constant injured state; he was protecting her. He was taking the oppression and beatings from the assailants whom the Raikage had protected. 'That has to be it,' she thought, calming herself, 'Raan would never betray me. I would trust him with my life. I have to help him and the village itself. I have to get up…and keep going.' She brought herself slowly to her feet and trudged faster through the ground, moving through the rolling hills and small mountains as she desperately tried to reach Thunder Capitol. 'The Lord of Thunder,' she thought, 'he'll help me. He's never been a fan of the Raikage, and he'll believe me. I hope.' She walked on towards the rising sun in the sky. Suddenly, a dark shadow covered her for a moment. She paused just as a giant figure crashed through the branches in front of her, landing with a loud, wet thud in the piles of slush. She backed away, using her good arm to pull the sword from behind her back as she readied herself for an attack. The snowy air began to clear, revealing a towering figure standing before her. He was very tall, and wore an odd kind of beige armor that seemed segmented apart at the joints. It gleamed despite a soft light, almost like a beetle's carapace. Her eyes went wide, and burned with fury as the stranger turned around revealing himself.

"You," growled Kimiko, "traitorous swine!" The Raikage stood before her in his complete battle attire. The metal seemed almost liquid like, shining and glimmering brightly as it clung to his skin in areas. A grayish yellow jumpsuit lay underneath it, covering the rest of his body from sight. On his hands were odd gloves, each finger ending in a sharp, and curvature resembling cat's claws. He clinked the metal against his armor, staring hard at Kimiko through a much scarred face.

"I think that's a little harsh Kimiko," replied the Raikage cooly. He was walking slowly towards Kimiko now, his considerable weight imprinting deep into the snow. "It's not my fault that the Seventh allowed so many weak nins through. You were all blinded by the chance of peace with the enemy that you didn't even see their kunai coming up to stab us in the back. We could have won the war!" His voice was growing louder and more emphatic, "We could have prevented the bloodline massacres if the Seventh had not been so lost in his dream for a peaceful resolution. He led our people on the road to ruin, and I will bring it back to its former greatness. The assailants of the village are two of my most powerful servants, and I will not allow you to bring down everything I've worked and sacrificed for."

"But why," Kimiko stammered, backing her feet up slowly, her mind racing for a way to defeat this powerful foe.

"The Leaf is a cancer on this continent," replied the Raikage, tensing the giant muscles in his legs, "that must be purged from the world one way, or another." The Raikage bounded forward, his speed blinding as debris scattered in his wake. Kimiko brought her blade upwards across her body, barely deflecting a hard shot from the Raikage. She stumbled backwards, the power from the shot knocking her on her back. She looked up to see the Raikage sailing through the air, his claw-like hands extended outward. She flipped backwards, barely dodging him as he crashed into the snow, only to rebound forward at her, catching her with a giant knee to the back in mid flip. Kimiko found herself sailing through the air, smacking hard against the trunk of a tree. She rebounded off of it, landing hard on her back, looking up at the cloudy skies, blood flowing freely from her mouth and nose. The metallic clank of the Raikage's footsteps filled the air as he came closer to her. Kimiko rolled on her stomach and pushed herself to her feet only to feel a sharp swipe on her back, followed by a massive kick, sending her tumbling into the snow, a trail of blood marking her path. She could feel the blood begin to trickle down her back, oozing a dark trail across the snow. The Raikage shot forward again, moving faster than anyone she had seen, his body becoming a mere blur in her eyes. She concentrated what was left of her chakra to her feet and pushed off fast, barely avoiding another giant swipe by the Raikage. "Sorry it had to be this way," said the Raikage. Kimiko stared at the Raikage, slowly making seals behind her back. "You were an outstanding nin, and it will be a great loss to the village losing you. But this nation will rise again as the strongest, and you shall be remembered, dieing in combat, for the sake of the Hidden Cloud." The Raikage walked towards her, scuffling the snow from his boots as it rolled in front of him in tiny spheres.

Suddenly, Kimiko slammed her hands against the ground hard. "Ninpo, Water Element, Snow Spires," she yelled, as the snow around the Raikage became sharp ice pikes, driving themselves towards them. The Raikage took a single step backwards, a look of shock on his face as the hundreds of icy spears overwhelmed the spot where he stood, blocking his body from view amidst the pikes. Kimiko slowly pushed herself to her feet. She was almost completely depleted of chakra, having used her best skills too many times in one day. Her knees buckled beneath her, but she kept steady, using her arms to force her knees back into position.

"Impressive," came a voice from behind her, sending a shock of fear down her spine. She snapped her head backwards just in time to see the Raikage place a stiff palm against her bad shoulder, driving her to the ground. She looked up to see the Raikage towering over her, a small cut on his cheek the only sign that she had connected with her jutsu. The Raikage began to perform several quick hand seals, the order of which was unfamiliar to her. He stopped just as Kimiko got warily to her feet. Something began glowing on her shoulder; she looked over to see an odd seal glowing brilliantly white there. "Ninpo," yelled the Raikage, "Thunder Element, Wrath of the Heavens!" There was a very eerie silence that followed after the Raikage said these words. There was no wind, no snow, and no animal life, just complete and utter silence. She couldn't even hear her own breathing. Fear was welling within her, her mind drifting to some of her best thoughts and memories. She didn't know why they came to her; it was if her mind had disconnected with reality, and chose instead to think of the best moments of her life. She remembered time spent with her parents as a child, traversing the streets of Thunder Capitol before being called to Hidden Cloud for her life time of training. She remembered the day she had passed the Chuunin examination, her first time in them. She remembered the first time she had been placed on a mission with a very tall, skinny genin named Raan. She remembered every second, of every day they spent together. But most prominently, she remembered Raan's words to her. That he would never leave her alone. She clung to the memory of them embracing for the last time; of their last kiss before she had left the hospital. Everything was flowing back to her so quickly bringing her a feeling of inner peace, like Raan was standing with her, embracing her in his long, warm arms. But then, her hair began to stand on end, and the air began to smell awkward, almost like the oxygen was burning around her. She looked up just in time to see a white light strike down on top of her…

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The Raikage watched as his jutsu hit its mark, a gigantic bolt of lightning rocketing down, turning Kimiko into a charred husk in a matter of seconds. The thunderous bolt rocked the ground he stood on, shaking the earth itself with a tremendous sonic boom. The snow swirled and swayed in the wind created by the backlash of the enormous thunder bolt. He covered his eyes against the bright light created by the ionized bolt. The trees themselves swayed and broke, their frozen branches scratching against the Raikage's bodyarmor, but the Raikage stood strong against it. He had only used this jutsu three times, and it was the most powerful in his arsenal, never failing to automatically burn the target into ashes from the inside out. It was the most powerful thunder jutsus in existence, and it was only passed down to the most powerful ninjas in his clan. Slowly, the wind began to subside, and the air took back its placated form. He removed his arm from his eyes and stared at the giant, smoldering crater where Kimiko had stood minutes before. There was nothing left of her, only a permanent etching of her shadow on the ground of the crater. The Raikage watched for a moment before the aftereffects of the jutsu kicked in, buckling him to his knees. His armor shook and clanked as he fell down on his knees, his hands holding him up. He coughed loudly, his chakra badly depleted and his body beginning to feel the aftereffects of the jutsu. He quickly recovered himself, demanding his powerful legs rise. He pushed himself up and stared at the crater he had made. "And with this," he said solemnly, "we follow the path once again, towards victory, and our destiny." He turned his back on the giant wound in the landscape, making his way back to Thunder Capitol. He had a meeting with Tsunade to attend, and he hated being late.

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Tsunade covered her eyes tightly as an intensely vibrant line cut through the sky in the distance, creating a massive boom that rebounded through the air. She could feel the ground shudder and quake under her feet as she finally opened her eyes to reveal a clear sky and a light that had suddenly disappeared. "What the hell was that," she said aloud.

"Umm...we get a lot of those large bolts of lightning," said the pudgy servant quickly, "they're nothing special really. They just sort of…happen in the bluffs from time to time." He quickly walked away, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

'That was chakra induced,' thought Tsunade, 'I could feel it all the way out here. Who in the hell?'

"This way Hokage-sama," said the servant again, motioning for Tsunade to follow. She began to slowly step in his direction, her eyes still staring at the spot the brilliant light had been moments before. They traversed through the streets of Thunder Capitol, Tsunade taking notice of all the dirty looks and frightened faces of the people that walked past her.

'I guess word has spread of what horrible people we are in the Hidden Leaf,' thought, growing furious again at the thought. She walked faster, until she was side by side with the servant; she detested being treated like a murderer and wanted to get this meeting with the Raikage over with, not go sight seeing. She finally came to the doorstep of a very archaic building. The architecture was nothing like that of any building in Thunder Capitol. It seemed very out of place amidst the giant, rectangular buildings and giant spires of this place. It was very tall, almost as tall as the Jade Palace, though not nearly as pompous. The stone walls held various lichen and plant life attached to it, giving it a naturally aged, green color. Giant blocks of stone and ominous pillars in the sky gave the building a very gothic look. They began to climb up the long steps that led up to the archway inside when the servant held out an arm, blocking her path.

"Please wait here Hokage-sama while I inform the doorman of our coming," said the servant. He scuttled up the steps towards a barrel-chested looking man in a long, orange robe. Tsunade waited impatiently, staring at the giant doors and the two men whispering to each other at the entrance to this temple. The felt an odd feeling on her shoulders, like someone was spying on her. She snapped her head back quickly to see almost all of the passersby staring at her, huddled in small groups and chattering amongst themselves. Tsunade shot them a dark scowl, and they quickly continued on with their business. Tsunade sighed, a slightly depressed feeling coming over her. "Hokage-sama," said the servant again, "we are allowed to enter now." Tsunade nodded and began climbing the steps again, thankful for some cover away from the accusing eyes of the people of this city. The orange robed man bowed deeply to them as they passed, though Tsunade saw how vengeful his eyes looked as she passed.

The outside of the building did not do justice to the inside, which was a vibrant display of color and sound. With what little light existed in this bleak country, it was scattered across the room in a dazzling display of the entire spectrum of color; reds overlapping yellows to form oranges, and then going about their separate ways. The chanting of monks tending to the inner workings of the temple reverberated off the cavernous interior, giving the place a feeling of inner peace and tranquility that Tsunade found very relaxing. In the middle of the entire area, in a slightly raised dais, was a giant bolt of blue lightning that crackled softly amidst the monks chanting. Surrounding it were eight, giant, gold statues, each with a single hand touching the bolt of lightning that continued to crackle and burn in the middle of the dais, its shimmering blue glow giving off an eerie color to the statues.

"Welcome Hokage-sama," shouted a tall monk as he slowly made his way towards them. His giant belly shook with every step he took, and the warm smile on his round face gave a very jovial and warm impression. His hair was arranged in a single braid that stuck out of the back of his head, swishing from side to side as he clamored towards Tsunade. Tsunade returned the warm smile and bowed to the monk, thankful for a friendly face for once. "We are honored to have such person of your prestige here today in our humble dwellings." He bowed deeply to her, a feat that seemed to take much effort as he bent over his large belly. "My name is Chiang, and I have been given the prestigious duty of showing you the history of this place as well as the Raikages themselves as so requested by the Raikage's aide." He motioned to the small man besides Tsunade who bowed deeply to the jovial monk.

"My apologies Hokage-sama," said the servant quickly, "but I must return and inform the Raikage of your whereabouts when he returns." He bowed to Tsunade and then quickly scuffled out the front entrance, the giant doors slamming shut behind him. Tsunade was alone in the temple now, feeling quite out of place in such a holy and revered site.

"Well Hokage-sama," said Chiang loudly, "let me show you the Dais of Eternal Storm." He motioned to the gigantic glimmering statues surrounded by the crackling blue bolt. "Well, obviously you can see it from here, but I think a more formal tour is in order." He walked towards the enormous effigies of the Raikages, motioning for Tsunade to follow. Tsunade smiled slightly, still amazed at the color and deep feeling of peace of this place brought to the soul. As they walked closer, the dazzling light began to change color, reflecting off the many precious gems that lay adorned on the eight statues. Their footsteps barely made any sound against the hard, stone floor, the air already filled with a general symphony of sound that touched the senses and for a brief moment, forcing her to forget the cruelties that this land brought with it. She was finally at the top of the stone dais, looking up at the gigantic and surprisingly well detailed statues of the Raikages past, each with their heads tilted up towards bolt of thunder, an outstretched arm touching only a few meters from the bolt itself. Shades of jade and pink crossed her eyes as the light bounced and reflected off the precious stones adorned on the statues.

"Magnificent aren't they," said Chiang, Tsunade nodding in silent agreement, "We have tended to and created these statues since the beginning of the first Raikage's rein. This temple was at one point a sacrilegious place; a building for the worship of strange and primitive deities that we had never seen before. Izou Dao drove them from the area and decreed this spot the site of a new city. However, it would not be until his son, Izou Kai, took the throne that the construction would actually begin here. Umm…Izou Dao is the rightmost one to us on the outside there and Izou Kai is to his left."

Chiang continued to talk while Tsunade stared up at the gargantuan statues, craning her neck high up to get a glimpse of their faces, preferring to admire the giant figures that listen to what the monk was saying. Izou Dao was an odd looking sort. A long beard trailed down from his face almost to his waist, the indentations of the hairs heavily detailed in the long beard. A long matt of hair trailed down his back as well, covering almost his entire body in long, golden strands. Even with Tsunade's excellent vision, there didn't appear to be much detail to his face, hidden as it was under the mass amounts of hair. She looked to the left of that statue to his son. They contrasted each other heavily, Izou Kai looking very young in this effigy. His chin jutted down his thin face, and his nose was slightly upturned, giving him a very dignified look. However, his face seemed fixed in an eternally saddened state, his golden eyes staring up at the lightning while his mouth was affixed in a permanent frown. His hair was comparatively shorter than his father's, only moving down to the small of his back, with his face completely clean shaven. 'So father beget son,' thought Tsunade, 'and the son killed the father. Interesting how this village works; it seems very cutthroat." Her thoughts were cut off when a strange pattern of light hit her dead on. It was a very deep and dark red with an odd pattern in the middle of it. It seemed to envelop her before moving onward past. She looked up at the source of it and looked straight at the eyes of Izou Dao. They were adorned with very large, precious gemstones that were cut in a very odd manner. "What is that," she asked Chiang, pointing up at the Izou Dao statue.

"Ah," said Chiang, his deep voice bustling with pride, "that is the only certain feature we know of Izou Dao. You see, records concerning the first Raikage are scarce, and a picture or actual description of the man was surprisingly impossible to find. The only thing we know for certain are from the records kept by those who fought the First. You see, not only was the First an amazing Raikage, he also possessed a very powerful bloodline that was only exhibited in him for all the generations his clan has existed. No one knows for sure what it was or did, but they called it, The Crimson Bloodline. For what reason we cannot say. But we do know this; Izou Dao's eyes were very peculiar indeed. They were almost a blood red, as shown in the jewels on his eyes there, with a-"

"Black crisscrossing pattern in them," interrupted Tsunade, "like a cross, right?" Chiang's expression quickly turned to one of surprise at Tsunade's comment.

"I'm surprised Hokage-sama knows of such a fact," he said, his tone showing a bit of suspicion in it, "You see, only we of the order know for certain that this is how his eyes looked. Any other who sees it simply believes it to be an odd decoration. We were not able to capture the brilliance that his eyes truly had. Some said that they could create their own light, and in the darkest night you could see them in the shadows, burning like a great flame of warning to his enemies. He truly was a remarkable man. May I ask how you knew of the pattern of his eyes?"

"I've seen them," replied Tsunade, "in his descendent Izou Set." She looked over at Chiang who was giving her a very peculiar expression like she had said something very strange. "What is it," she asked.

"Well…Hokage-sama," replied Chiang, "I'm not sure who this Izou Set is. You see, the only surviving member of the Izou clan is a personal friend of mine, Izou Raan, and his eyes are golden, much like Izou Kai's. I have never heard of this Izou Se-"

"CHIANG," roared a monk from behind them, his shout echoing the monk's name across the cavernous hallway. The entire atmosphere changed, growing very quiet and uncomfortable as the chanting of the monks stopped, replaced instead by the heavy footsteps of a tall, skinny monk approaching them. His robes were like the others except his had odd, black designs on them. He stormed towards them, Chiang looking very apprehensive as he approached.

'He must be the lead,' thought Tsunade. The monk grabbed Chiang by the collar of his cloak and pulled him close, whispering something inaudible in his ear. Chiang bowed quickly and left Tsunade there, moving farther into the recesses of the temple.

"Forgive Chiang Hokage-sama," said the lead monk, "He is new to the order and not yet well versed in all there is concerning the great Raikages. We have heard of Izou Set; though he is not a spectacular nin of any sort. Just a regular genin we are sorry to say. The face that he has the great Dao's eyes is purely coincidence. Now if you please Hokage-sama, we have much work to attend to." His voice was very wavery and nervous, resembling that of the servant that had accompanied Tsunade here. In fact, the only person she had talked to today who seemed to be speaking plainly was Chiang.

"Alright," said Tsunade, nodding to the monk before heading towards the large, double doors that lead back to the outside. 'What the hell is going on here,' she thought, 'first, that nin attacks Naruto, and he certainly didn't seem like any average genin then. And after that, a personal friend of the only living descendent of these people says he never heard of any Izou Set." Her mind drifted to an image of the tall nin, remembering most especially those horrid eyes of his. Tsunade pushed the double doors open and stepped quickly into the outside, going back the way of the Jade Palace. 'Something is very wrong here,' she thought, 'and I'm going to find out what.'


	27. Part 45: Mountain's Peak

Part 4.5: Mountain's Peak

Set and Julius finally made their way over the final echelon of the cliff. It was a few hours after daybreak, and they had cut the run up the cliff quite close. The sun burned brightly in the sky today, cascading brilliant streaks of light across the sky to silhouette Hidden Cloud Village against the gigantic cliffs that encompassed it. Set was the last of the group to finally step their way back onto flat earth, pushing himself up with the toe of his foot back onto the snowy peaks of Mt. Izou. It was an awkward step, replacing his first foot on horizontal ground; he bent his back outward and then threw himself forward, bringing his entire body steadily to its feet. Julius stared at him coolly, watching his outlandish movements with his unwavering eyes. Set smirked at his brother as he crossed his arms and gave him a look of pure indignation.

"Something the matter brother Julius," asked Set sardonically, "bored?" Julius made no response but turned his back to Set and walked towards Hidden Cloud. "Perhaps you're…disappointed." Julius stopped in his tracks quickly. Set could see his back rise and fall with heavy breaths, a clear sign of repulsed anger with Julius. "That's it isn't it? You're so easy brother Julius." Julius remained silent, but still did not move.

"They both arrived before us Set," said Julius darkly, his voice very cold but a hint of emotion lying within it, "I can smell their foul odor; sense their horrid, damned presence. I wanted them then Set. I can't wait much longer." His voice was beginning to lose its usual sense of calm control and was becoming erratic, quick, and furious. His fists were made into tight balls to his sides, his own fingernails digging deep into the skin on them. Set watched as small droplets of blood began to form in the palms of his hands, staining the snow beneath his shaking fists. "Their souls cry out for vengeance," continued Julius, his voice becoming increasingly enraged, his entire body seeming to shake under his own fury, "and I can no longer ignore them. I want…I need to see it, their mangled bodies in front of me, murdered by my hands. I-"

"Patience brother," said Set. He walked quickly to his younger sibling, placing a firm hand on his shoulder, causing Julius to relax and stop quaking. "You must maintain your stoicism when you are near them. To reveal yourself now would be foolish. Remember, you're supposed to be the controlled one," Set added mockingly.

Julius let out a deep sigh, his breath coming out in a long steam in front of him in the cold. "I'm sorry brother Set," said Julius, his voice it's usual cold self, "this isn't like me. I'll remember what you said."

"Be sure that you do. I have many things to attend to during this exam, the most important of which you already know." Set's eyes drifted back towards the cliff where he slowly made his way towards him. "Naruto, you will not hide yourself from me so easily."

"Where in the hell have you two been," came a very commanding voice from in front of them. Julius and Set both turned their respective heads to see Kanitsu Cally stomping towards the two of them, "I'm getting really tired of having to play babysitter to you two idiots! I don't know what the Raikage sees in either of you." She gave them both a very hard stare before whipping her head back to Julius who spoke first.

"My apologies," replied Julius, hiding his previous anger easily under a cordial tone, "we did not mean to trouble you." It always amazed Set how polite Julius could be. Had it been his decision, the bitch would be have been dead in the first minute of this exam.

"Alright," she continued, berating Julius and Set to fall in line, "listen up you pricks. I got removed from a good, reliable team to be stuck on one with two tall pieces of shit. Now I don't know what the Raikage's reasoning behind this decision was, but since I am the number one rookie of the class, and you two aren't even ranked, you will do as I say without retort. Got it!" she roared forcefully at them, like a drill instructor. Julius bowed, but said nothing. Set merely shot her a look of contempt before turning back to look at the edge of the cliff. "Hey, big red," she yelled, "I'm talking to you."

"You know," replied Set, a broad smirk on his face revealing his jagged teeth, "that little term gets less and less endearing every time you say it." Suddenly, Cally raised a single finger in Set's direction as a thin, bright light shot past his face. Set cocked his head away from it, a single line of blood slowly appearing on the side of his face.

"Let that be a warning big red," said Cally maliciously, "now we've got to register for the next exam, so since you two seem basically worthless as rocks I'll do that myself. Don't move." She stormed off in the opposite direction towards Hidden Cloud while Set and Julius looked on. Set allowed his long tongue to loll out the side of his mouth, slowly swiping the blood from his cheek as the wound quickly resealed itself. He swallowed loudly as he watched Cally in the distance.

"Interesting ability," said Set in a bored tone.

"Wires," replied Julius coolly, "controlled by her chakra. What do you think?"

"She's no threat," said Set, "though the feeling isn't mutual."

"The Raikage specifically stated we were not to harm her."

"I'm getting very tired of taking orders," snapped Set, "If it's not the Raikage it's some bitch he's decided to make our lead. I'm getting tired of him, this country, everything. However," his head slowly moved towards the cliff, "there are some things to look forward to…"

-

Naruto was clawing his way up the mountain's side now along with the rest of the team. Coupled with the long and arduous climb up the side of the vertical cliff as well as the battle with the Hidden Sound Nins, fatigue was beginning to rear its ugly head. Naruto felt like his body was pumping acid through his veins, a white hot burning sensation punishing his every step, but he continued on. The mist around them had grown a bright, almost translucent white, signaling daybreak as patches of mist parted to reveal bright streaks of sun that burned against their eyes. Naruto was beginning to worry; he wasn't sure how much time was left to complete this task since yesterday, but the thought of failure was the farthest thing from his mind. He continued up the long slope, his teams' heavy breathing and the quick, rhythmic clanging of Lee's kunais into the slope keeping his mind focused. They were jogging up the side now, at almost a frantic pace, each of them worried that they had failed already. For Naruto, failure was not an option, and he knew that the rest of his team felt the same. 'I've got far too much at stake here,' he thought, trying to keep his mind distracted from his sore body, 'with becoming a Chuunin, Sasuke…and now," Naruto scowled deeply at the thought of Set. The nin had only recently come into his life, but his thoughts drifted to him constantly. 'What does he want from me,' thought Naruto, 'a fight? I can give him one if he wants.' Naruto shook his head back and forth, pushing the thought from his mind. 'I'll deal with him when the time comes, but for now, Sasuke…' He could feel his emotions begin to boil inside of him as he thought about his old friend. 'I have to face him. I have to prove that his nindo is wrong. I have to defeat him. Maybe then…" Small pieces of rock and dust came tumbling down to land lightly on his face. He wiped the debris from his eyes, blinking the dust out of his face through teary eyes. He felt a tug at his orange suit and opened his squinted eyes. TenTen was pulling on his jumpsuit weakly, looking just as exhausted as the rest of them, her breath coming out very labored. She raised a hand slowly and pointed above them. Naruto looked up to see they had escaped the mist. His heart began to beat like a jackhammer as he saw that they were very close to the top of the cliff. Snow dripped from the top, coming down lightly on top of them in small packets as the sun burned brightly in the sky overhead, raining bright streams on top of them.

"Yes," came a shout from behind them. Naruto turned his head back down to see Lee pumping a still bleeding fist into the air. "Our most youthful perseverance has paid off and we will most assuredly reach the top of the cliff. Gai-sensei," Naruto could see a stream of tears begin to well down Lee's face, "he will be most proud of us…his prized students."

"C'mon Lee," said TenTen irritably, "we've still got a little ways to climb yet. Let's just get this over with so we can go on to the next one." Lee shot her a quick salute before resuming his progress up the mountain quickly. Naruto smiled at Lee and followed suit, moving even quicker up the mountain as they approached its final peak. Any feeling of fatigue that had been plaguing Naruto earlier was washed away as he saw their final destination. He grinned broadly as he sprinted up the side of the mountain, TenTen and Lee keeping up the pace along side him. The wind was whipping lightly around him now as he ran straight up towards the sun, eager to put this test behind him and continue onto the next. The clanking of Lee's kunai grew steadily faster and more rhythmic than before as he desperately tried to keep pace with his teammates. 'So close,' thought Naruto, the edge of the cliff approaching faster and faster now. His legs pumped furiously against the forces of gravity as he made his way closer and closer up the mountain's side, reaching out for the snowy edge. Finally, he took a single step forward past the edge of Mt. Izou and stepped out again to find nothing but air under his foot. He flailed forward as he landed face first in the snow on the top of the peak, a cold chill sent quickly through his body. Naruto could hear TenTen laughing in between shortened breaths.

"Dammit," moaned Naruto as he pushed himself up off the ground, shaking the snow out of his hair. A familiar clanging sound was heard right behind him as Lee clawed his way to the top, grasping at the snowy earth for some kind of leverage. He finally pulled himself up, embracing the flat ground like it was a long lost friend. He rolled onto his back and stared up at the brilliantly lit sky. The sun was very vivid and bright on top of this mountain, as the sky seemed much clearer on the peaks rather than down below them. Naruto allowed himself a bit of respite, lying flat on the snowy ground, ignoring the freezing sensation that was pulsing through his body now. There was a long quiet between them as the entire team sat in the cold snow trying to catch their breath. Naruto heard footsteps slowly approach him and craned his neck up to see a Hidden Cloud nin writing something on a clipboard.

"Congratulations," he said with a bored monotone voice, "you have passed the first part of this examination within the time limit. Please register your names in Hidden Cloud-"

"YES," shouted Lee triumphantly. He sprang to his feet and pumped his fist high up into the air, "we as the prime and most pristine youth of the Leaf have accomplished this most difficult task set before us. We have beaten these great heights and enormous obstacles to reach out goals and prove our own ways of the ninja." A small stream of tears began to fall down his eyes, his mouth quivering badly. "If only Gai-sensei could witness such an event with his own eyes, how proud he would be of our amazing accomplishments." He was sobbing loudly now, his tears coming down like a river of droplets that pelted upon the ground while TenTen and Naruto looked on, embarrassed beyond belief at Lee's behavior. Then slowly, they began to hear a similar sound behind them. Naruto turned his head around quickly to see Gai-sensei with a similar expression as his pupil.

"Lee," Gai sobbed, "your passion moves me to tears. All of you have come so far on your own. I'm…I'm," Gai suddenly rushed forward and grasped all three of his students in an enormous bear hug, squeezing them tight as he sobbed loudly. Naruto choked as Gai's arms surrounded his stomach and squeezed tightly. "I'm just so proud!" he said between his hiccupped crying resonating across the entire canyon as the Hidden Cloud nin muttered something and went on down the mountain, searching for other teams that had made it to the top. Gai finally released them and Naruto and TenTen took in a collective breath, their lungs desperate for oxygen.

"What the hell were you thinking," coughed out Naruto, "you almost killed us!" Gai looked at him with a perplexed expression before laughing loudly.

"Forgive me," he said, "I sometimes let my passion for the accomplishments of youth take over me. But for now," he went back to a very serious pose, pointing at them sternly, "you must register at Hidden Cloud for the next test. It is imperative that youth keep their schedules together, so I suggest that you all proceed to the middle tier in Hidden Cloud village just over that bluff." His finger moved from them to the top of a large, snowy hill in front of them. "Hidden Cloud is just beyond that, but you must go yourselves. Your sensei has business to attend to in this village."

"How did you get up here so fast anyway," asked TenTen. Naruto nodded at his teammate, curios to the answer himself.

"Well," said Gai, a smug smirk plastered on his face as he rubbed his chin arrogantly, "I am the Amazing Azure Beast, a man capable of amazing feats and extraordinary skills. It should be no wonder to you my young pupils that your sensei could easily scale a mountain of this height in a few mere hours. For I am Maito Gai, the Beautiful Azure Beast!" he ended this speech in his usual whooping crane pose complete with a frothing ocean coming up behind him.

"Yeah," came a bored voice behind Gai. The Cloud nin had been eavesdropping on their conversation, still seemingly entranced by his clipboard, "or you took the civilian road that leads straight up into Hidden Cloud."

Gai's eyes went wide as he realized he'd been caught. The frothing ocean behind him disappeared, and he laughed nervously at his pupils. "Well," said Gai nervously, "even the great Azure Beast wants to be on time once in a while. Anyway, just go over the bluff and register for the next test. If you wish, you can meet your sensei in two hours at the cafeteria for a meal and a final training session, for the next test starts tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow," said Naruto in amazement, "you'd think they'd give us a break for even a little while."

"Students of the amazing Gai-sensei do not need breaks," shouted Lee, mimicking Gai perfectly, "we will achieve our goals and prove our nindo no matter what the circumstances." He shot Naruto the trademark nice-guy pose, his white teeth glistening brightly in the sun.

Naruto sighed in defeat, "Alright then," he said, "but they better have ramen here somewhere." Gai gave his students one last salute before bounding off back towards the Hidden Cloud. Naruto watched him run over the bluff, scattering the snow down the hill in small bundles. Naruto slowly pushed himself up, his hands against his knees as he forced his legs into standing position. All three of them were exhausted, though Naruto could feel himself begin to recuperate inside, his body regenerating muscle and decreasing the fatigue he felt throughout his body. He walked slowly up the hill, keeping the slow pace his teammates were going. They finally made their way over the tall bluff and stared down at a very odd looking complex sitting at the base of two gigantic mountain ranges that loomed over it. A large path was set in the middle of them leading somewhere up into the mountain areas. Naruto stared wide-eyed at Hidden Cloud village, a perplexed look stuck on his face as he cocked his head, hoping that the perspective would make the buildings make sense.

There were five gigantic towers arranged in an 'X' formation with one tower on each of the points and one in the middle. Each of the towers were very broad, and were so tall they seemed to be part of the mountainous structure that encompassed them. As the team walked closer, the width of the towers became astounding. They were a simple, cylindrical shape and composed of a very dark, jade stone with different etchings and figures carved into them that Naruto did not really understand. One of the towers seemed to be telling the story of how the nation was formed while another depicted a long bearded man engaged in combat with a very sad looking figure. The center tower was the most prominent and also the largest. However, it seemed to be composed of plain, granite stone and steel mixed together to form a very odd looking structure. Jutting out of this tower were four bridges connecting to the four outside towers that were cylinders as well, dark blue and contrasted heavily against the glistening green stone of the towers.

"They must have a lot of Jade in this country," said TenTen, looking up at the towers in awe.

"It's one of our main exports," came the same bored voice from behind them. The group turned around to see the Hidden Cloud nin still engrossed in his clipboard, checking periodically over his shoulder for any other teams that would cross the mountains. "Jade is found in huge deposits in this mountain. There's not a bigger supply of Jade Stone anywhere on this continent, maybe in the world. Earth Country especially pays big money for Jade stone as it's practically impossible to find there. Ironic eh?" Naruto didn't know whether to agree, laugh, or what to say. This nin looked familiar somewhat, but Naruto had trouble placing his face. He turned to Lee with a questioning look on his face, but Lee seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"Oh," said Lee finally, "you're the man who showed me that most amazing temple. Izou Raan was it?" The nin nodded at them, staring at Lee though his half-closed golden eyes. Lee bowed deeply at the tall, long haired nin. "Thank you again for that tour, it was most enlightening."

"Well you're welcome kid…um…Lee wasn't it," he finally stammered out. Lee smiled mischievously at the nin.

"Yes, it is Rock Lee, Amazing Azure Beast of the Leaf," he shouted, going into a Gai-like whooping crane pose; however, no frothing ocean appeared behind him. Raan stared at him oddly before returning to his clipboard.

"Well you kids should register soon," Raan said, "you can do that at the academy, the center building there where all the others meet. Go to the fifth floor and ask the receptionist there. You should be able to find anything you need there, including food if you need it." Naruto could feel himself salivate at the mere mention of food but quickly swallowed it down, not wanting to drool. "In the fourth tower there," continued the nin, rising from his clipboard to point to the closest tower to the right, "you'll find lodging. Don't go into any of the other towers. I repeat, DO NOT go into any of the other towers. Those are housing and training facilities for the grades of genin, chuunin, and Jounin respectively and you'll be very unwelcome there. Just trust me on this one." Raan gave them one final, reproachful stare before returning to his duty.

"That was pleasant," said TenTen sarcastically as they watched Raan move back to the cliff of the mountain, "Well come on, we should probably get ready for the next exam."

Naruto nodded, focusing his attention on the task at hand. Here was another golden opportunity to confront Sasuke in some way, shape, or form. 'I've got to keep my focus,' thought Naruto, sighing out deeply, 'I've got to-' his mind quickly jolted out of thought, bringing his thoughts back to reality as a familiar sensation of panic washed over him. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, and his entire body began to pump adrenaline through his system as he took hard, quick breaths. 'He's watching me,' thought Naruto. It was strange to say the least how he could feel Set's presence. The nin seemed be surrounded by a very strange aura that stood out like a fiery beacon in Naruto's mind whenever he was nearby. Naruto's eyes darted from side to side, looking up at the soaring towers above him as he crossed into the fattest of the towers. Windows let out glimmers of yellow light, showing shadows of movement contained within them. Naruto's eyes scanned across the fourth tower. He could feel that weird aura there, a pair of them. He hated the feeling; it was as if something deadly was swinging over his head, ready to drop down on top of him if he wasn't careful. It was a feeling of constant unease he had felt ever since his first meeting Sasuke; ever since then, a feeling of constant paranoia had been following him. Despite what the situation was, the feeling was constantly nagging at him now.

"What are you looking at," asked TenTen. Lee and TenTen were both staring at him as Naruto finally came back into reality. He snapped his head back towards his friend so fast that his hair whipped in a small wind he made. TenTen and Lee both stared at him in a mixture of shock and horror as Naruto realized that the orange chakra had begun to flow through his system again. The sensation was becoming second nature to him now as the powerful chakra flowed through his veins almost as normally as blood. He felt his skin cool down slowly as he forced his emotions deep within himself. He closed his eyes hard tightly, the pressure causing his eyes to tear as he gritted his teeth hard, desperately trying to control what he had for so long. He opened his eyes again; Lee and TenTen were still staring at him, confused looks plastered on their pink faces.

"C'mon," said Naruto, motioning towards the tower, "let's get ready fro the next test." He walked straight past his friends. Who merely watched him as he strode by them, stepping lightly against the heavy snow. Naruto continued to walk; he didn't want to see their faces like that.

"**They may be your friends now, but in the end, they will always see you as you truly are, a monstrosity."**

Naruto continued walking, crunching quietly in the snow. The wind had decided to stop blowing for a moment, yet Naruto felt so cold on the inside now, so cold. It was as if something had grasped the last shreds of warmth and happiness he had felt and ripped them from his system. The only warmth left for him, was the warmth he felt whenever he let go…whenever the beast got his way and was unleashed upon the world.

-

Set licked his lips eagerly, his tongue feeling lightly across the small indentations of his mouth as he watched Naruto enter into the building for registration. The other two were standing stock still behind him, stupid looks of surprise still plastered on their faces. Set eyed them both with a mild look of interest on his face. He had never met Naruto' comrades before, but by the way he acted whenever fires began burning inside of him again showed too much. It showed weakness; weakness that could be exploited; weakness, that was kindling for the flame deep within him that Naruto so desperately wanted to stifle. Set smiled darkly to himself, taking in very deep breaths though his clenched teeth as the skin on his face stretched apart to reveal glistening fangs that made two perfect rows on his mouth. He opened his mouth slightly, allowing his long tongue to loll out of his mouth between his teeth. He pressed the tip of it against the window, tasting the cold on the outside as he watched Naruto's comrades slowly follow him inside, looks of worry still on their faces.

'So frail,' thought Set, 'wounds of the flesh child…wounds of the flesh…they do not dig so deep.' Set quickly retracted his tongue back into his mouth, slapping it loudly against his teeth as he felt a presence come in behind him. He removed himself from the window of the fourth tower and turned around, crossing his long arms across his chest. Slow steps signaled the approach of someone into his quarters, clicking against the hard tile floor. It wasn't Julius, his brother had left some time ago to take care of some 'business'. He watched as Kanistu Cally entered the room. She bore a look of repugnance on her face, arrogance that Set had little patience for. 'So she thinks she's better than me,' scoffed Set, 'let her think what she wants.' Set walked past her, moving out towards open door. Cally caught him hard by the arm as he passed, squeezing hard against his arm. Set allowed his feet to stop; her grip was very strong as he felt a very strong grip against his bicep. He flexed his bicep in response whilst Cally turned her head to stare eye to eye to him.

"Trying to impress me," she mocked. Set did not respond. He loathed this woman, and he simply could not wait until some opportunity, some 'accident,' anything arose to give the excuse to kill her.

"Let go of me," Set said coolly, walking against her grip. She held firm, not moving her head away from his eyes. Set sighed in frustration before turning back to her.

"Look," she said in a determined calm, "I know we must have gotten off on the wrong foot, but we're still a team. And as a team, if we're going to get past this exam we need to cooperate. That means that we should know each other; our styles, our strengths…our weaknesses, everything. It will help us meld cohesively as a team. That being said, I want to know what these are." She pulled a small white bottle from her belt and held it in front of Set's face between her thumb and forefinger. It rattled as she moved it, making a small banging sound as she moved it. Set's eyes grew wide and a smile slowly crept across his face, confusing Cally. "What are they," she said more forcefully this time, putting enough pressure on Set's arm to make him feel pain. Set continued to stare at her, chuckling under his breath, enraging Cally further. Her eyes squinted together and she flicked a single finger outward as a wire wrapped itself around Set's neck, illuminated only in a thin streak by the overhead light. Set's expression did not change as he opened his mouth to talk.

"Medicine obviously," said Set condescendingly, "I think a better question is why have you been prying through my brother's personal affections?"

"So these are Julius'," asked Cally. Set nodded as the wire slowly peeled off of his neck, leaving a thin line on it. "What are they for?"

Set looked up towards the ceiling, sighing a bit as he did, like he was thinking fondly of a memory that tickled him somewhat. "You might want to put those back," replied Set, "before Julius finds out."

This time it was Cally's turn to smile. "Oh yeah," she snickered, "what's he going to do?"

"I really don't know," said Set, grinning from ear to ear now, "I've only seen him when he's off them once." He was laughing now, craning his head back down as he placed a hand against his forehead. He laughed for nearly a minute, Cally staring horrified and frustrated at him while he did. Finally, as he pushed the memory from his system, he turned to look Cally in the eyes again. "They're mental suppressors. Julius suffers from shall we say, 'a small psychological problem'. Those keep him stoic, and usually contained. When he's been without them for some time, he regresses into an odd state. First, he starts to hear voices, the voices of his slaughtered kin crying out for vengeance. Then those voices take shape in his mind, cursing and damning him for being too weak to stop their slaughter. Then, finally, his mind snaps completely, and Julius becomes one with the voices, carrying out their will through his own. He becomes a swirling vortex of rage and emotion that really is poetry to watch; I do wish he would do it more often. But then again, only the most brilliant minds can appreciate art of such magnitude." Cally stared at him dumbfounded, then to the pills in her hand, rattling the bottle again.

"That's impossible," she said, snapping her head up so quickly her small, blond ponytail came up and rested on her head, "the Raikage would never allow someone with such a severe mental condition become a ninja. They wouldn't be reliable in combat; they could hurt their comrades. They-"

"Are weapons," Set interrupted, "such is the way with my brother. If a kunai breaks in battle, you replace it with a better one. And if you come across a weapon of such power that both you and your enemy will be destroyed, you will use it. It's simple human nature, something people just don't seem to understand. The object of the game it to win, at any cost, and I do so love to play this game." Set paused for a moment, allowing his message to sink into her system. Cally merely stood dumbfounded at this revelation. She leaned hard against the jade wall, a look of shock on her face. Set walked closer towards her until he was only centimeters away. She was very pretty…very pretty indeed. It showed well against such a strong façade, like a single flower popping out of the middle of a rocky ground. It showed so well, the tan color of her skin against her purple clothing, garden variety versus such a strong shade. She was art; she could be transformed. Set's hands rose ever so slightly as his fingers formed into claws at the end of each one, crooking against the skin. His heart began to beat rapidly, and his hands began shaking. He brought his arms up slowly, to Cally's neck level. 'I can transform her,' Set thought eagerly, 'I can show the world her beauty; I can…"

-

Set's arms slowly went down to his sides. Cally quickly woke from her mindset and delivered a strong kick to Set's stomach, pushing him her leg's length away. Set winced as her foot delivered a strong force to his midsection. Her face was in a dark scowl, and a sudden fire seemed to have been awakened behind her eyes. Set's heart raced faster, the fury, the passion, it was almost too much for him to contain. He walked hard against her foot, fighting the strength of her leg easily. Cally's eyes went wide with shock as Set stepped casually towards her, despite the fact her foot was still putting pressure against his stomach. She pushed harder, forcing her back against the wall as she drove her second leg deep into Set's chest. However, Set did not stagger, but continued walking forward against the pressure of her legs, bending them at the knee as he came slowly closer to her. Set continued to walk forward, his heavy boots thudding hard against the tile wall. Cally drew her arms against the wall behind her, readying the wires wrapped around her fingers. Suddenly, Set's own arms shot out, grabbing her by the wrists and slamming her arms against the wall behind them so hard the jade stone cracked against their combined forces. Cally's eyes went wide as a powerful jolt of pain shot down her arms to her back. She winced hard in pain, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. She forced them open as soon as she felt Set's body come closer to her. Step by step, he closed the gap between them. Cally could feel his heart beat faster and faster through the soles of her feet, and his face seemed more like an animal's now, his eyes wide, and his breathing so loud it seemed to echo in the room. He was close now, too close. She could feel his hot breath on her face through his clenched teeth which were etched in a horrible smile. Her mind was panicking, desperate for a way out. He stepped even closer, her knees were up to her chest now as his face moved closer to hers, his neck craning towards her. She saw the opportunity and rammed her forehead as hard as possible into Set's face. She could feel his nose crack satisfyingly against the front of her head. She had hoped the pain would cause Set to recoil, but he only stopped. She opened her eyes as she stared down at his still smiling mouth. His teeth were so jagged; she had never noticed it before. She pulled her arms against Set's hands, but they were still held firmly there, and she could not use the strings unless she had some forward momentum. She pressed her head harder against Set's face, driving the crown of her head deeper into Set's crushed nose, pushing crushed bone and cartilage further into what was left of his face.

Then slowly, Set's mouth opened, revealing an abnormally long tongue. It moved slowly up to the side of her face, slapping with a sickly wet sound against the side of her chin. She grimaced as a sick chill went down her spine. She struggled harder against his grasp pushing her legs harder against his body, kicking him in between, harder and harder, but he hardly seemed to respond anymore. Then, almost as suddenly as it started, Set pushed away, sliding smoothly across the Jade tile floor. Cally hit the floor with a soft thud and acted within an instant, bringing herself back up to her feet. She was about to driver her arms forward, wrapping Set in the wires and ripping him to shreds when she stopped suddenly. Set was standing there beside her now. Cally backed away towards the window and assumed a defensive stance, but Set merely stood there, a horrid smile plastered on his face. His head was cocked to one side, seeming to study her further. Then, he erupted in a loud, violent laugh, throwing his head back so far he looked up at the ceiling. He brought his face forward again, still cackling madly. He turned on his heel and strode slowly towards the door, his loud laugh still echoing across the green stone that reflected the entire scenario. He casually walked out the door and walked across the hall, his laugh echoing across the cavernous hallways of the building. When Cally could no longer hear his laughter, or the clanking of his heavy boots against the stone, she allowed herself a moment's respite, relaxing her muscles as she leaned hard against the window. 'What am I into,' she thought, 'what is this. Raikage-sama, why would you keep such people?'

-

Kakashi loomed over Hidden Cloud village, staring down at the enormous pillars from on top of the cliffs. His face remained emotionless as he scanned the area, it was quite desolate for being the training and housing area for nearly all of the Hidden Cloud ninjas. He eyed the windows of the towers, examining the shapes that swayed about inside of them. His own mind was a veritable cacophony of voices past and lives that no longer walked this earth. The feeling of nostalgia still hung over him since he had taken a step into this accursed country. He reached up and gently touched the left side of his face as a particularly strong gust of wind whooshed behind him, mussing his hair slightly; he did not move, but continued to stare at the complex. 'He's not here,' thought Kakashi, 'but I imagine he soon will be. There's far too many things underneath the underneath here." He suddenly heard the sound of snow crunching quickly underfoot and turned around to see Gai quickly approaching him. Kakashi turned back to the cliff and watched the buildings with a scrutinizing look, desperate for any sign of his presence. Kakashi could hear Gai come slowly up behind him, bits of snow dusting off the slope and into the wind, sticking to the side of his face. Kakashi ignored the cold sensation that hit his cheeks and continued to stare fixated at the towers.

"I haven't felt him if that's what you wanted to ask," said Gai quickly, "I know you're worried Kakashi, but I have to ensure that my students are prepared for the next test, so make this quick." Kakashi remained silent for a few minutes as he attempted to put together what he wanted to say in a sentence. He had been pondering it for some time now, though it was a bit drastic. Kakashi heard Gai impatiently tapping his foot against the snowy cliff, but he still said nothing. Finally, Gai sighed in exasperation and turned on his heel to leave.

"We should take them out," said Kakashi finally, standing up to face Gai eye to eye. Gai quickly turned around, a perplexed expression filling his face as he cocked an inquisitive eyebrow at Kakashi.

"Take who out," asked Gai.

"Those two nins. You and I both know that they harbor some connection to Hiketsu, and anything that is even distantly connected to him should be destroyed." Kakashi watched as Gai's expression went from surprise to one of actual repugnance.

"Are you out of your mind Kakashi," Gai reprimanded him, "That's an act of all out war! We can't do something like that."

"I have a feeling they're already prepared for war," said Kakashi darkly. Gai shook his head, still not understanding Kakashi's point. "Think about it. Tsunade has already told us that the Raikage harbors some kind of deep, inner hatred for the Leaf. Secondly, without the Thunder Bloodlines, the Hidden Cloud are at a severe disadvantage in keeping together a prolonged war. Even if they do outnumber us, any good Kage would know that it would only be a matter of time before the other countries decided to get involved, and the Hidden Cloud cannot fight a war by themselves. Thirdly, we know Hiketsu, a being of unknown power and potential that wiped out an entire encampment of some of our best nin, is here, and two Hidden Cloud nin are emitting a similar aura as Hiketsu himself. Let's face it Gai, as desperate as Tsunade is for peace amongst the nations, the Raikage seems like he wants to restart the Fifty Years War, and those two nins will no doubt play a vital part in it."

Gai said nothing at first, but merely stared dumbfounded at Kakashi. Gai began to stutter, at first spitting out a few words, but then thinking better of it. Finally, after several failed attempts, Gai said slowly, "I know what you mean Kakashi, but you can't expect me to back you on this theory of yours. There are more important matter to deal with first, Orochimaru, the Hidden Sound, have you forgotten them so easily? We must make our priorities straight Kakashi. It is imperative that we, as most powerful Jounins of the Hidden Leaf, think carefully on our decisions before-"

"I ran away from him when I saw him," interrupted Kakashi, "I ran away. I've never run away from an opponent before. I've always stood my ground against an enemy, even when victory seemed impossible; even when I knew what I would do was futile, I did not retreat. That is who I am. But on that day, and when I saw him again, I ran. I ran like a coward. He killed my comrades, my love, and my best friend, and I ran like a beaten dog with my tail between my legs. I was not the hero that day."

"That's absurd," shouted Gai, quickly lowering his voice whenever the sound echoed through the sky, "you're not a coward. You delivered the final blow that stopped him remember?"

"Yet there he stood," said Kakashi, his head turned slowly up towards the cloudy sky above them, "without a scratch or mark on him. I do know my priorities Gai…" he looked straight at Gai, his eyes burning with a fury and rage that laid dormant within him for so long finally showing itself behind his dark eye. "My priority is to keep my comrades safe from harm, and protect the people precious to me. But right now, the greatest threat to those close to me has not even shown himself to them. I don't expect you to help me on this one, but it's something I have to do." Kakashi turned away from Gai and began walking down the slope whenever Gai's hand held him back. Kakashi looked around, and there was a very serious expression plastered on his usually pleasant face.

"I will help you Kakashi," Gai said darkly, "under one condition. We'll need proof that these nin are a threat to us. If you can find some information on these nin, then we will be able to go to Tsunade for assistance. This is the way it must be done Kakashi; you must realize this." Gai's words were on the edge of pleading, and deep down, Kakashi knew he had a point. Kakashi shrugged Gai's hand off his shoulder.

"Alright," he said lazily, "I'll get proof of what those nin are and how much of a threat they really are. But don't forget Gai," his tone changed to a very threatening one, "if I feel that those two are an immediate threat, I'll do it without you." Kakashi began to walk down the slope, leaving Gai alone. Dark thoughts were swirling in Kakashi's mind as he walked down the slope, planning his next step. 'I won't let him do it again,' thought Kakashi, 'NEVER again.'

-

"AAAAUUUGGH!" Zeumon's painful screams filled the area, bouncing off the walls and causing an altogether distracting presence. Orochimaru listened curiously at the screeching of metal grinding against bone, eliciting another wail from Zeumon as Kabuto continued the task of reattaching his arms. It was a very familiar sound, one he had much experience with, and had heard many times. It gave him a feeling of nostalgia for the past, but Orochimaru quickly refocused himself to the presence. He snapped his head in the direction of the two nins that were prostrating themselves before him. Both Shiaki and Garuda were on their knees, bowing face down to Orochimaru, each one of them breathing hard from exhaustion, and no doubt fear. Orochimaru remained silent for some time, letting the anticipation fill his student's hearts with terror. It was interesting, watching emotions pile up on themselves like that, one after the other, making the body gasp desperately for oxygen, convulsing uncontrollably. As if on cue, Shiaki's arms began to shake badly, though he desperately tried to hide it. 'This kind of respect is what I appreciate most,' thought Orochimaru, 'and even as satisfying as beating these two within an inch of their measly little lives might be, it is an unimportant matter.'

"So," came Orochimaru's raspy voice, finally breaking the horrible silence, "you engaged Naruto on the mountain per my instructions correct?" Both Shiaki and Garuda nodded quickly in unison. Orochimaru paced back and forth in the dark room, his pale figure contrasting heavily against the candle-lit darkness surrounding him. "And you failed-"

"We would not have failed if not for the red clad nin," interrupted Shiaki. Orochimaru paused and whipped his head in Shiaki's direction, his yellow, slitted eyes boring straight through him. Shiaki whimpered under Orochimaru's stare and went back to his position of prostration.

"It is irrelevant who interfered," continued Orochimaru, "what's important is how far this Leaf brat has come in a few months. Sasuke did not tell me how far Naruto had improved, and as time passes he is becoming an increasingly bothersome annoyance. I had hoped that those who had earned my esteem enough to be considered my honor guard could take down just three nins, but perhaps I am a bad judge of character, hmm?" Shiaki and Garuda shook their heads quickly, both of them trembling badly now; Shiaki's fingernails were beginning to chip against the stone he was becoming so nervous. "Naruto seems to have an unhealthy obsession with my property, and I do not want Sasuke damaged before I have a chance to possess him. Still, this brat should not-" another scream pierced the air around them, flooding the room with painful wails that amplified the already tense situation. "-should not," continued Orochimaru, "be a problem in the future. Sasuke should be more than capable of handling him. However, taking him out may prove difficult. Stand up," he motioned towards Shiaki and Garuda to come forward. They slowly got to their feet, their knees still shaking in terror at Orochimaru's obviously disappointed state. "I am giving you a chance to redeem yourselves for me. I want you to separate Naruto from his team. Make sure he's alone, and kill him."

"Won't the Leaf suspect something Orochimaru-sama," came Garuda's robotic voice. Orochimaru turned slowly to the tall, skinny pupil, his own eyes furrowing, giving him an enraged expression.

"Are you questioning my judgment," said Orochimaru slowly. Garuda's eyes went wide and he began to bow furiously at the waist, blurting out apologies from the metal neck piece around his neck. "I don't care how it's done, and I don't care if the Leaf suspect something. We still have amnesty, and as I hear it, they're already under investigation. Now go." Garuda and Shiaki gave one final bow to Orochimaru before sprinting out the door, narrowly avoiding Kabuto on the way down. Orochimaru shook his head as he watched them sprint away. "Worthless pieces of trash," he said through clenched teeth, "if only I still had my original ones, this operation would move much smoother."

"Fate does seem to be against us," replied Kabuto, "I've repaired the damage to Zeumon's arms, though it did take a bit of improvising. He'll be able to fight tomorrow, though the pain will still linger for some time. Are you that concerned about Naruto that you would willingly sacrifice two of your soldiers just to gauge him? You know they're not going to kill him."

"I'm well aware of that," said Orochimaru coolly, "Naruto seems to be a distraction that is affecting Sasuke adversely. He is a distraction that needs to be eliminated, and I don't think Sasuke would be willing to kill him." Kabuto said nothing, but stared up at Orochimaru. His eyes betrayed his emotions, and signs of doubt filled his eyes. "What?" asked Orochimaru, reading his servant easily.

"I was wondering if your faith in Sasuke is not misplaced. As I've said before, we only need him alive, nothing more. We should be cautious as to how far we use him."

"The more that Uchiha learns, the more his Sharingan will develop," said Orochimaru, a cruel smile slowly curling on his mouth, "and then, when I'm ready to take him, my forces will be unstoppable. Still, the Hidden Cloud do not concern me as much as…other factors."

"Such as," asked Kabuto.

Orochimaru was silent at first, his eyes furrowing into slits, his mind drifting to thoughts of earlier days. "Nothing that concerns you," replied Orochimaru coolly. Kabuto was visibly taken aback by Orochimaru's statement, but only bowed slightly and left Orochimaru alone with his thoughts…

"_It's done," said Orochimaru triumphantly. Sweat was pouring down his brow, and the perspiration had wet his suit completely. He looked down at Mitarashi Anko, a 3 point mark visible on her neck. She was shaking badly, her body seemingly ready to shut down, but she was alive, that was a definite improvement. She whimpered and shook on the table, her small body rattling against the cold, steel table she was strapped to. Her eyes were very glossed over, and her breathing was becoming very sporadic again. Orochimaru performed a few seals and placed his hands over the girl's chest, calming down her respiratory system, and resetting her heart rate. Her breaths slowly became longer and less labored, and her eyes began to close, readying herself for a long sleep. Orochimaru took his hands back; they were so red that the pale white of his skin was not even prominent. He walked over to a small water basic, dipping his bloody hands in the cold liquid. The blood slowly washed away from his hands in small trails that swirled in the water, turning the liquid a dark crimson that enveloped the entire bowl. Orochimaru flicked his hands dry, splattering the wet blood on the far wall, mixing in with the already stained wall from the many corpses that lay manacled there. The room stank terribly, the smell or rotting flesh and dried blood piercing Orochimaru's sensitive nostrils. He ignored the smell though, today was a complete success, not only in the perfection of the enchancement seal, but something else as well…_

_It had been nearly two years since Orochimaru's first meeting with Hiketsu, and he only saw the strange man only once or twice a month in order to check up on his progress and speed what he could along. However, those visits had been cut short as Hiketsu claimed he had some 'business' to attend to, though Orochimaru cared little as to what it was. In these two years spent with Hiketsu, as sparse as they may have been, were two of the most educational years Orochimaru had spent with teacher. Sarutobi had always limited his experience in the forbidden jutsus, but Hiketsu seemed to encourage him, teaching Orochimaru some of his most deadly moves, including an amazing ability to reraise souls from the afterlife under one's control. He called this move Edo Tensai, and it had taken Orochimaru the latter part of a year to finally perfect. Not only that, Orochimaru had finally learned the secrets of soul displacement. As Hiketsu had stated, the body is irrelevant, as long as the soul remains intact, immortality is possible. Although he had not the opportunity to practice this art, in theory, it would work. _

_Still, despite all this, Orochimaru had developed an intense hatred for that man. Every time they met, Orochimaru's blood boiled with rage; every mannerism, a flick of a wrist, the way he breathed, everything irritated Orochimaru to no end. He didn't know where this kind of hatred came from, but one thing was for certain; he would kill that man, one way or another. _

_Orochimaru turned back to his pupil. Her small body was shivering badly again on the table. Perhaps the seal wouldn't take, and her body would corrode from the inside out like all the others. His eyes drifted to the corpses manacled to the walls, their insides sewn clumsily back inside of them; 'I never was very good with a needle,' thought Orochimaru, chuckling slightly under his own breath. He approached the girl and slowly bent his own head close to hers. He brought his lips close to her ear, and began to whisper to her. "From now on," he said softly, "your will is mine. Every thought, every movement, will be as through me. You are no longer your own, but a part of me. And in that way, you will live on forever through me."_

"_What are you talking about," came a cold voice from the dark entrance. Orochimaru whipped his head in the direction of the stairs as a figure stood shrouded there, a small pool of ankle deep water surrounding his feet. He slowly sloshed forward, moving through the water with ease, not even rippling a single wave as he stepped forward. Water dripped slowly from the ceiling as Orochimaru heard the small tapping of rain on the roof above them, but Orochimaru's eyes were fixed on Hiketsu's as he slowly stepped from the dark, his white, barren eyes almost sparkling on his face. Orochimaru smirked as Hiketsu approached the steel table._

"_I was wondering when you'd show yourself again," Orochimaru said snidely, "It's been too long. In any case, I have perfected the technique you have been raving about." He approached Anko and slowly turned her over on the table, revealing the mark on the back of her left shoulder. "It's an enhancement seal that pulls additional chakra from the body, along with fueling the user's normal body with amazing strength and speed. I took your original design and added a few modifications to it to make it more potent." Orochimaru watched as a single bony hand waved over Anko's body, gliding over her, never making any physical contact. Anko shuddered slightly under Hiketsu's observance. Hiketsu slowly moved his hand over the seal itself, tracing it around the lines as his long fingernails indented the skin on Anko's body. Anko shuddered even worse now, almost violently so until Hiketsu retracted his hand again, at which she returned to almost normal. Hiketsu turned slowly towards Orochimaru, his blank eyes seeming to stare bullets into his own yellow pupils. Orochimaru returned the false gaze, never faltering under his dark stare. _

"_May I ask you something Orochimaru," began Hiketsu in the same cool, and utterly annoying tone, "do you think I am dull?"_

_If Hiketsu could have seen Orochimaru's face, he might have actually laughed for the first time as Orochimaru contorted his face in utter confusion at the question. "Dull?" he asked with disbelief._

"_Dull," continued Hiketsu, "Slow-witted, ignorant, stupid, etcetera. Do you think I wouldn't notice all of your modifications? In particular, I noticed the imprint the seal places on the soul; you leave a small part of yourself in them. Whenever it is fully activated, their bodies and souls are not their own, but rather they adapt your personality, your mindset, everything about you. It's very creative. And it's also a perversion of what I have been trying to accomplish."_

"_This seal is beyond anything you could comprehend," snapped Orochimaru, the anger beginning to rise in his voice, "with this seal, I…we can create an army totally loyal to…us. In this manner, I can give these children strength beyond what they have ever dreamed. I can turn a genin into a chuunin; a chuunin into a Jounin; a Jounin into a sannin; and who knows what else can be accomplished with this. Just think of it, we can overrun this village, destroy it," his voice was raising higher again, the raspy tone of voice breaking against the strain that his throat was trying to produce. "They…they will pay for ignoring my greatness; for not seeing that I am truly the greatest of the damned village!"_

_There was a very loud silence between both Hiketsu and Orochimaru after this statement. It was impossible to tell if Hiketsu was actually 'looking' in a certain direction due to the odd nature of his eyes, but the expression on his face was enough to show what he was thinking. There was contempt written all over his face; contempt and condescendence. Orochimaru gritted his teeth as the fury for this damned stranger rose to the surface again. _

"_You would use what I have taught you for petty revenge," said Hiketsu, his own voice rising slightly for the first time since Orochimaru had met him, "you would pervade my knowledge such just to complete your own damned goals? Have you learned nothing from my time spent here?"_

"_I've learned what I needed to know from you," said Orochimaru, lowering his voice menacingly, "I learned of immortality, as was our deal. What more-"_

"_Was that all you learned Orochimaru," said Hiketsu, his voice returning to it's cold state once again, "You showed such promise. I thought that perhaps I could take you on as my own personal pupil, but your lust for power is blinding you to what I have been trying to teach you."_

"_What are you talking about," roared Orochimaru, growing increasingly frustrated with the cryptic messages Hiketsu was trying to send him. Hiketsu shook his head solemnly, almost scolding, like a father disappointed in their favorite son. This only succeeded in enraging Orochimaru further. The sound of the air blowing in and out of his slitted nose slowly grew louder and faster as the anger boiled within him. Hiketsu walked past him, heading straight for Anko who was still shivering on the table, her eyes wide open now. Hiketsu stood over her, bending his neck down slightly before giving the table a small kick get a better view. Orochimaru studied him carefully as Hiketsu swept his hands over Anko's body once again. Suddenly, he grabbed at Anko's neck harshly, his long hands encircling over her thin neck and squeezing tightly; Anko choked loudly against Hiketsu's might._

_Orochimaru sprinted forward, his feet barely touching the ankle deep water below them. He swept in and delivered a strong kick to Hiketsu's stomach with his shin, knocking him hard against the far wall and relinquishing Anko from his grip. Orochimaru's anger was full force now, and he knew that the time had finally come to kill this man. "What the hell do you think you're doing," snarled Orochimaru, "I have finally achieved what you could not and I will not allow you to take away my work so easily!"_

_Hiketsu lay against the far wall, motionless except for the slow rising and falling of his chest. Very slowly, Hiketsu brought himself to his feet, his body arching against the wall in an unbelievable bend. He righted himself back up and stared blankly at Orochimaru. "That…thing must be destroyed," said Hiketsu coolly, "I will not allow such a perversion of my work to exist in the world. My skills serve a higher purpose than petty revenge or want Orochimaru, but I can see now, you can't understand what I'm trying to achieve here. Well," Hiketsu straightened his back out completely and brought himself into a strange stance, his arms held out straight in front of him, the right slightly moreso than the left. His legs formed a small V as a base at the bottom of his slender figure. "…I suppose this is the end of our partnership." Orochimaru unstrapped Anko and pushed her behind him, readying his own hands to his sides to be brought up quickly to initiate seals. There was an unbearable silence now, broken only by the fast splash of the drops of water above them hitting the pool they stood in and rippling the water outward. They both waited, Orochimaru anxious to see what Hiketsu's first move would be, but Hiketsu did not move, rather, he stood there blankly, awaiting Orochimaru's first move. Orochimaru tensed every fiber of his body, stretching and contorting the tendons in his arms for quick movements. They stood there for what seemed like an eternity, only the whimpers of a small child and the drops of the water above them to break the horrible silence before the storm. _

_Hiketsu moved first, he drove his body forward in a single push of his legs. The movement was so quick it parted the water as he flew across the room towards Orochimaru. Orochimaru was prepared, he drew his hands forward, his nimble fingers making quick movements and seals in front of his face. Hiketsu came in too fast and Orochimaru pushed himself hard backwards, his body colliding with the wall behind him hard enough to knock the wind out of his system. "Water Element," he croaked, "Rain of Needles!" The water in front of Orochimaru suddenly drew itself up into the air at Hiketsu's eye level. It then shot forward in tiny, thin droplets that froze in midair towards him, whistling loudly as they pierced the air towards Hiketsu. _

_Hiketsu moved quickly, throwing his legs out from under him so that he was parallel to the surface of the water. He allowed gravity to pull him down as the needles shot over him, ripping holes in the cloak that enshrouded him and hitting the stone wall in front of him with small clinks. Hiketsu grasped the water like it was solid and pushed himself across the surface of it, parting it into two large waves as he glided across the surface towards Orochimaru. Orochimaru pressed himself flat against the wall, his hands forming seals as fast as possible. Hiketsu came forward blindingly fast, pushing himself off the surface of the water and grabbing Orochimaru's arms by the wrists. He pulled his arms apart and jumped completely up, driving a knee right into Orochimaru's chin. The impact of the hit rattled Orochimaru's body, his teeth rattling badly inside his mouth. The hit drove them upwards towards the ceiling, and Hiketsu arched his body backwards, letting go of Orochimaru's arms and flipping away from him just as Orochimaru hit the ceiling head first. There was a resounding crack through the ceiling as Orochimaru felt like what had been a bolt of lightning crash into his brain. Stars formed in front of his eyes, obscuring the darkness that now surrounded him. Orochimaru quickly pushed against the ceiling and forced his body back down to the ground. He hit the floor with a small splash as Hiketsu made his way towards Anko. _

_Orochimaru opened his mouth wide, sending an unbelievably long tongue in Hiketsu's direction, wrapping tightly around his left ankle. Hiketsu snapped his neck in Orochimaru's direction, tugging fiercely at his shackled leg. Orochimaru wrapped the middle of his tongue around his forearm and pulled violently, a hard pain shooting through his mouth as he did. Hiketsu's feet lost their balance and he was flung into the air, sailing straight into a pile of corpses on the wall's side. Orochimaru did not wait for him to recover, but began to form seals again, his hands moving so fast they were mere blurs in front of him. "Fire Element," he screamed, "Great Fireball" a gigantic ball of flame shot out from his mouth just as Hiketsu clawed his way out of the pile of corpses. The fire hit its mark, engulfing the pile in an explosive force that rocked the room's structure. Small pieces of the ceiling crumpled onto the pool of water beneath them, adding more chaos to the swirling and sloshing water beneath his feet. Orochimaru watched the corpse pile burn, sure that Hiketsu burned along with it. Steam rose from the pile, the water evaporating on contact with a loud hiss. _

"_Chains of the Underworld," shouted a voice from amidst the inferno. Orochimaru watched dumbfounded as three darkness black chains shot from the pyre straight towards him. Orochimaru flipped backwards, nimbly avoiding the first strike as the chains batted at the air in front of him. Orochimaru landed next to Anko, who was now huddled in a corner, her eyes wide with fright from the scene before her, but Orochimaru paid her little heed. As long as she was alive, she would serve his purposes well. He would not allow this man to take what he had strived so long for. Orochimaru readied his hands in front of him again as Hiketsu emerged from the flames. His long black cloak had been frayed completely, and the rest of his black garb seemed burned and singed as well, revealing parts of his unnaturally pale flesh. The chains protruded from his back, a bit of wet blood still dripping from the tips that had burst forth so quickly from his back. The chains shot forward as Orochimaru threw two shurikens forward at Hiketsu, simultaneously shouting one of the first jutsus Sarutobi had taught him. "Shuriken Bunshin no Jutsu," he shouted, his voice carrying over the roaring flames in the background. The two shurikens quickly multiplied to ten, then twenty, then fifty, until nearly a hundred of the shrieking stars were splicing the air towards Hiketsu. The chains on his back retracted themselves, forming a tight shield in front of Hiketsu that the shurikens clanged loudly against to bounce away harmlessly. Orochimaru raced to Hiketsu's left, flicking a kunai out from behind his belt and twirling it forward on his finger. He came to Hiketsu's exposed side and drove the kunai forward, moving so fast that the air whistled around him. Hiketsu's head did not turn, but his body reacted perfectly to the attack, his back arcing impossibly so that Orochimaru shot straight over him. Orochimaru righted himself quickly in midair, reaching out with his free hand and grasping Hiketsu's clothing tightly. Pulled himself closer to Hiketsu and drove the kunai deep into his chest, eliciting a small gasp from Hiketsu. Suddenly, the chains shot back and wrapped around Orochimaru completely, encircling him like living snakes and wrapping his entire body tightly in a mass of clanging, black metal. Hiketsu staggered backwards, his body convulsing slightly. Slowly, he regained his stance and casually pulled the kunai from his chest, dropping it on the ground in a low splash. Orochimaru struggled under the grasp of the chains; they were slowly squeezing together, tighter and tighter. Orochimaru felt the bones in his torso begin to crack and bend underneath the pressure of the black steel. A small trickle of blood shot up his throat and slowly came out his mouth to dribble down the side of his face. _

_Suddenly, Orochimaru snapped his neck backwards and then drove it towards Hiketsu, his neck stretching to incredible lengths to send his head towards his enemy. Hiketsu reached out with a hand and grasped Orochimaru's neck, only for it to slip from his grasp as Orochimaru finally connected with Hiketsu's neck. He opened his mouth wide, revealing a pair of sharp fangs that he buried deep into Hiketsu's flesh. Hiketsu recoiled, stepping backwards as he drove his fist repeatedly into Orochimaru's skull. Orochimaru felt the chains begin to loosen slightly around his body, and he tore his hands out of the mass of chains, forming quick seals on them. He quickly snapped his head back into place, resetting it back on top of his shoulders. "Lightning element," he shouted, "Thunder Barrier!" _

_The air began to crackle and sizzle around Orochimaru as blue lightning began to pulsate off his skin in waves. The lightning connected with the chains, making its way down to Hiketsu who roared in pain as a massive wave of blue lightning engulfed his body. The chains loosened considerably as they convulsed and shook with Hiketsu's body, allowing Orochimaru to slip from their grasp and fall to the floor. Orochimaru quickly ended the jutsu and drove himself towards a now completely defenseless Hiketsu. A long sword protruded from his mouth as he pushed across the water, splashing it loudly as he plunged the sword into Hiketsu' chest. Hiketsu's eyes went wide, and a small sliver of blood issued from his gaping mouth. Orochimaru smiled widely as he snapped his neck up violently, driving the sword in a straight cut through Hiketsu's head. Hiketsu stood motionless for a moment, a look of shock still plastered on his face. Suddenly, blood sprayed out into the air from his head and neck as the two sides separated, bringing the rest of Hiketsu's body with him as his corpse slumped to the floor. The blood colored the room a bright red now, the water completely turned the crimson shade. _

_Orochimaru swallowed the sword again, the blade slowly making its way down his throat. He walked nonchalantly over to Hiketsu's corpse and examined his work. What was left of the body was obscured underneath a red shade that glided over it in a glistening red crimson. Orochimaru chuckled to himself before turning back to his pupil. Anko was still huddled in the corner of the room, but she was beginning to calm down now that Hiketsu was dead. "Don't worry," said Orochimaru, "you're mine. And I don't let anyone take what belongs to me." Anko did not respond, but nodded fearfully, her eyes still very wide and scared from the experience. Orochimaru walked closer to her, stepping over a few corpses that had fallen in the battle; the room was a complete mess now with bodies floating aimlessly on the floor, barely supported by the water that had risen considerably. The water still sloshed against the walls as it rippled out the energy from the battle, and the sound echoed across the room loudly, filling the silent void that had occurred with Hiketsu's death. Orochimaru reached out with a single arm to take Anko up and back topside. _

_Anko reached out for his hand, but stopped suddenly, her body shaking so horribly the water began to shimmy off of her in small droplets. Her face was contorted in an expression of pure terror and fear, and her body refused to move anymore. Orochimaru looked deep at her, noticing something in the reflection of her eyes. A shape was moving, emerging from the water behind them. Orochimaru spun around and confronted the ghastly image of a corpse reforming itself. Hiketsu's body stood back on it's feet, its two halves still dripping blood on either side of it. Suddenly, skin began to reform from the bottom up, almost like a human zipper, pulling two halves together again. Orochimaru stared in disbelief as Hiketsu emerged unscathed, standing before him, the only difference was a thin line that was etched from the top of his collar to his chest where the sword cut through. "That…that's impossible," said Orochimaru, his raspy voice quavering, "no one can survive that." Hiketsu merely stared at him now, showing him the same expression of disappointment that he had shown beforehand. Orochimaru's mind snapped back into reality, and he began to form seals in front of him again. Hiketsu was faster this time, his legs shooting him forward across the surface of the water. He grabbed Orochimaru's head with his entire hand, palming his face. He hoisted Orochimaru's body into the air by his head and held him several feet off of the ground. Orochimaru's hands came together to complete his seal. "Fire Element-"_

"_Eyes of the Death God," Hiketsu whispered quickly. Suddenly, everything around Orochimaru plunged into darkness, and he found himself freefalling down an endless pit, the only sound he heard was the wind whipping around his head. He finally landed hard on a soft patch of earth, enough so that his feet sank an inch upon impact, kicking dust high into the air._

"_What the hell," said Orochimaru, gazing at this new area. Hiketsu was nowhere to be found and the earth under his feet no longer felt wet, but very dry and dusty, almost like it was crumbling and dieing itself. The air reeked of death, and the pungent stench pierced through Orochimaru's nostrils, contorting his face in sheer disgust. "Genjutsu of some sort," he said aloud, reassuring himself, "KAI!" He focused his mind on the chakra that should have been surrounding his eyes and mind, but there was none. "What the hell is this," said Orochimaru, his voice more panicked now. He walked across the landscape, looking for any semblance of a jutsu in this strange landscape. A heavy shroud of fog lifted across the area as Orochimaru concentrated hard for any signs of the jutsu. Suddenly, something from beneath him grabbed his ankle firmly. He shot his head down to see a decrepit hand grabbing at his ankle. Orochimaru's eyes went wide, and he violently pulled his leg from the arm's grasp. Suddenly, another corpse shot from beneath the ground under him and grasped him by the arms, pinning them to his sides. Orochimaru could smell the stench of decaying flesh on the corpse as he struggled in it's amazingly powerful grasp. Soon, the entire area was filling with horrid wails and moans as corpses sprung from the earth beneath him and clawed at his body, tearing it limb from limb. Orochimaru screamed in sheer pain as they began to swarm on top of him…_

_Just as quickly as it started, Orochimaru found himself propelled back to the room, landing hard in the blood water. His entire body felt like it had been ripped apart and hastily put back together. He opened his eyes and surveyed his limbs which only a moment before had been pulled from his body by the living dead. They were still very much attached to his body, though he could still feel the residual pain at his joints where they had torn the flesh and bone from his body. Orochimaru tried to stand, but his body gave out, every muscle and bone in his body feeling ripped and torn apart as pain circulated through his system with every beat of his hear. Orochimaru craned his neck upwards to see the black figure of Hiketsu standing over him, his arms hidden within the black cloak that enshrouded his entire body; even his face was hidden beneath the hood of the cloak. _

"_It seems my time is done," he said softly, a feeling of dread lingering over the words as they passed slowly through his pale lips. He looked up towards the ceiling, craning his ears back and forth, hearing out sounds Orochimaru could only wonder. "I don't know," he continued coolly, "they may be after him. Perhaps. No, that won't be necessary, I will deal with them. They are not as powerful as they once were, but there seem to be candidates here. I don't have time. If I linger, I may be discovered. I know I could, but it would be unwise to reveal myself. Don't worry, I will be back shortly." Orochimaru stared at him, a feeling of defeat washing over him. "It seems you have what you wish Orochimaru," said Hiketsu, his voice directing itself towards Orochimaru again, "I can no longer stay here, nor do I have time to destroy the girl properly. This will not be the last time we meet Orochimaru. Next time, I will finish what I have started." And with that, Hiketsu swept quickly out of the room, the sound of dripping water echoing through his mind as Orochimaru succumbed to the pain coursing through his body…_

"Orochimaru," echoed a shout amidst the silence. Orochimaru came back to the dark, musky room lit sparsely by candles. He quickly turned behind him to see Sasuke standing there, a very repugnant look attached to his face. Half of his face was hidden in the darkness of the room, but Orochimaru could see the emotions, the fury behind his dark eyes. Orochimaru smirked to himself, the thought of such a body being his amusing him.

"You should be resting," ordered Orochimaru, raising the inflection of his voice slightly, "the second test starts tomorrow, and I don't want you failing from exhaustion. After all, if you can't get through these exams, how do you expect to be able to defeat your brother?" Orochimaru watched Sasuke's rage boil to the surface again, a vindictive pleasure running through him as the youth struggled with the deep emotions running beneath him. Orochimaru turned away towards his room, his long hair whipping through the air behind him as he exited from the light.

"Call them off," said Sasuke threateningly. Orochimaru stopped dead cold and turned his head slowly towards Sasuke. His yellow eyes reflected the candlelight, casing an eerie yellow glow on his face. "I won't let them interfere."

"What are you babbling about Sasuke," asked Orochimaru.

"Those two idiots you sent to kill Naruto," Sasuke said defiantly, "I want you to call them off. Now." Orochimaru turned on his heel and faced Sasuke, looking down at him, the irritation screwing his face. But a smile slowly began to curl on his thin lips, forming into a very malicious grin. Suddenly, Orochimaru erupted in maniacal laughter, his raspy voice beating off the walls like a drum as the horrid sound echoed down the halls of the room through the chamber. "What the hell is so funny," snapped Sasuke.

"You," said Orochimaru in between laughing. His laughter finally subsided, and his face quickly became malicious again, "You seem to be forgetting your place. Did you not come to me, practically begging for the power to kill your brother, and am I not delivering on your side of the bargain? It's high time you learned that while you are here, you are my pupil, and you will follow my orders without objection. However," Orochimaru slowly sauntered towards Sasuke, who's eyes burned with a controlled fury now, "sine you seem so desperate to change my order, I'm going to give you your wish." He bent down slowly until his own yellow eyes met Sasuke's. His Sharingan was active, and the red iris of his eyes began to betray the emotions buried deep within him. Orochimaru looked deep into those eyes, the eyes that would one day be his own, staring back at him. He could see his own reflection in those perfect eyes along with the limitless potential held within them. "If I call them off, I will have to find someone else to eliminate the brat, and since you seem to be so eager to recall my troops, I can only assume you want him for yourself."

Sasuke took a step back, a slight look of shock on his face before he hid it again beneath a face of stone. "I think it would be the perfect test of your abilities" said Orochimaru in a taunting voice, "So Sasuke, during the second examination, I want you to kill Uzumaki Naruto." Sasuke was completely silent; it was obvious this was not what he had expected, yet the young Uchiha refused to back away from Orochimaru's gaze. He stood defiant in front of him, but Orochimaru could see the doubt begin to creep into him.

"He's no threat," said Sasuke finally, "there's no reason to want to kill him."

"I disagree," said Orochimaru mockingly, "he may not be a threat in the literal sense, but he is a threat in that his mere existence is keeping you from reaching your full potential. I can still see the lingering feelings of want that are buried so deep within you, and it disgusts me. That kind of weakness should be purged from your body by now. Or do you not want to kill him? Perhaps you wish to make him a surrogate brother of sorts, since your own family was taken from you in, shall we say, an untimely manner." Orochimaru smiled in satisfaction as Sasuke openly scowled at him. "If you want to kill your brother and avenge your clan, the only path is through me. We will become as one, and your intentions will be fulfilled through me. In the meantime, your body must be kept in pristine condition, constantly tested and rigorously trained to make a prime vessel for myself. But, until that time comes, you are a part of the Hidden Sound and one of my minions, and you will follow my orders no matter your personal feelings. Or perhaps…you fear Naruto? Is that it?"

"I don't fear anyone," snapped Sasuke, "and you can't manipulate me like some puppet."

"No I can't," replied Orochimaru smugly, "you're letting me manipulate you fine on your own. In any case, if you can't defeat some Leaf brat, do you really think you can defeat someone of Itachi's caliber? You've already failed to kill him once. Can you kill him?"

Sasuke was silent again, the conflict obviously swirling within his mind. Orochimaru hated it when Sasuke looked so defiant like that, another annoying trait that he would be glad to remedy when he took over this boy's body. Finally, Sasuke stared straight at Orochimaru, walking very slowly towards him.

"I can and will kill him," said Sasuke, "he will not survive the second exam. I swear it."


	28. Part 46: Broken Bonds

Part 4.7: Broken Bonds

"Congratulations," said the receptionist in a very forced, sickly sweet voice, "you are now qualified for the second exam scheduled for early morning tomorrow. Bye now."

"Yeah, thanks," said Naruto half-heartedly. He took three small sheets of paper from the receptionist and returned to where TenTen and Lee were waiting. While the outside of the building had been very impressive, the inside was completely drab, with a monotonous bleach white color striking across the hard stone walls. Wooden doors broke the monotony every twenty feet, like everything had been measured out perfectly. There were no cracks on the walls, no blemishes on the polished floors, the area just seemed devoid of life of any kind. The usual sounds of the birds chirping, the wind rustling through the trees, and especially the laughter of children was completely void here. In fact, Naruto had yet to see a single person, save for the receptionist, since he entered here. It was far too quiet to be considered an academy.

"So did you get it," piped up TenTen, breaking Naruto from his train of thought. Naruto handed them each a small sliver of paper, keeping one for himself. Lee took the small piece of paper with both hands, staring at it wide-eyed, his hands shaking badly. Suddenly, he jumped straight up into the air, yelling triumphantly and performing a wild dance right in front of them. Naruto had to take a few steps back to miss getting his with a flailing limb of Lee.

"YAHOO," he yelled, "the first part of this most arduous and testing exam is complete, and we, Team Gai, have passed it with ease worthy of Gai-sensei, the amazing azure beast! Let us raise our hands in victory and-" drops of blood began falling from Lee's right hand staining the polished floor in dark, red splotches and knocking him quickly out of his catatonic state. He examined his hands as the wounds incurred there had reopened.

"If you have injuries as a result of the examinations please move to the medical facilities on the fourth floor," the receptionist said nonchalant, "and try not to dirty up the floor." Naruto scowled her but quickly turned back to Lee.

"We'd better get that checked out," Naruto said, with TenTen nodding in agreement. Lee seemed reluctant at first, but eventually he nodded as well. Naruto gave Lee a hard pat on the back and gave him one of his trademark fox grins. "Don't worry thickbrows," he said cheerily, "we'll have you up and running before we meet Gai-sensei. I promise." He then shot Lee the exact thumbs-up pose that Gai and Lee had trademarked and perfected over the years, though his smile wasn't nearly as shiny as theirs. Lee looked on, stunned at Naruto for a moment, before he returned the gesture, smiling so wide it looked like a star was shining from Lee's teeth.

"Don't just stand there grinning like idiots," scolded TenTen, "let's get Lee's hand fixed and get out of here. I've got a really bad feeling about this place."

"I know what you mean," said Lee, his voice to a serious tone very quickly, "ever since we stepped in this building, I've been getting just weird feelings, like there's something watching us."

"You're just being paranoid," said Naruto cheerily. "Now come on," he shouted, giving Lee a hard slap on the back, forcing a pained wince from Lee, "the sooner we get Lee fixed, the sooner Gai-sensei treats us to a feast!"

Naruto stared up at the drab, grey ceiling, trying to count the different spots and lines that dotted it so perfectly, each piece coming together to form an unnaturally perfect shape. He only got to ten each time before he lost count and had to start over again. His eyes began to grow heavy as he waited impatiently for Lee to come back from the infirmary. The bench he was sitting on was ridiculously uncomfortable, and gave no leeway at all to his weight as he shifted back and forth on it. TenTen sat across from him, her legs crossed as she looked at a clock on the opposite wall. "He's been in there an awful long time," TenTen said finally, "do you think he's alright?"

"Thickbrows is tough," said Naruto in a yawn, "he wouldn't let some little injury like that hold him down." The tense silence reemerged as Naruto found himself running out of things to look at. What the hell was taking Lee so long anyway? It's not like it was a life or death thing; he just had a small hand injury. Naruto' eyes darted from point to point, looking for something to keep his focus on the grey, beige wall, but his eyes kept drifting over to TenTen every time. 'I really don't know much about this girl,' thought Naruto, 'I mean, me and thickbrows were at least pretty good friends when I came on the team, but I never knew who this girl was. I know she's good with weapons, weird, bossy, and kind of bitchy.' He allowed his eyes to rest on TenTen who was spinning a kunai lazily on one finger, her eyes drooping slightly every few seconds. He squinted hard at her, like he was examining some kind of weird specimen. 'She reminds me of Sakura-chan, but she's really different too. I don't really know, but she's really different.' He watched as TenTen stopped the spinning of the kunai with one finger and spun it in the opposite direction, making a quiet, whistling sound with every pass.

"Why are you staring at me," said TenTen suddenly. Naruto awoke from his near catatonic state and started moving his head and eyes in all directions.

"I wasn't staring at you," he said quickly, "I was staring at…stuff…on the walls. So don't be stupid." He had just finished the sentence when the kunai TenTen had in her hand came whizzing by his head, missing his ear by inches and sticking in the stone behind him. Naruto's eyes went wide with fear as TenTen shot him a very dirty look before returning to watching the door. Naruto allowed himself to droop in his seat, the feeling of fear still rushing through him. 'And she's got some temper,' he thought to himself.

A loud creek filled the hall as Lee finally emerged from the room. TenTen and Naruto both looked quickly in his direction. He looked no worse for wear. The damage done to his right hand had been healed and rebandaged. "Try not to be so stupid next time," shouted a voice from behind Lee before the door slammed shut.

"Thanks," said Lee sarcastically as he flexed the fingers on his hand. He looked up at Naruto and shot him the traditional thumbs up with his healed right hand, which Naruto returned.

"What was that all about," asked TenTen.

Lee shrugged, "It's not like we should have expected a warm reception," he said, "these people hate us after all. One look at the Leaf symbol on my belt, and he almost refused to treat me. It took some coaxing, but I think I'm alright now."

"This country's filled with jerks," said Naruto loudly, "I can't take one step without some weirdo talking about how the Leaf is ruining everything. You're all nothing but ASSHOLES!" He was shouting as loud as possible now, his frustration with the country itself rising quickly to the surface as his voice carried across the corridors in a loud reverberation of his last word.

"Quiet down Naruto," said TenTen, shouting just as loudly, "it's not smart to piss off the country you're staying at stupid!"

"Well if the country I'm staying at doesn't know how to treat guests, then I'll piss them off all I want," roared Naruto right back. TenTen shouted something offensive, and Naruto shouted right back, and a gigantic argument ensued that lasted for a considerable amount of time, their voices so loud that the walls around them seemed to shake.

"Speaking of the Hidden Cloud," intervened Lee finally, "there's something I've been curious about Naruto."

"What," growled Naruto, his face inches from TenTen's own scowling expression.

"That red nin we encountered," continued Lee, "Set was his name I think, who is he exactly, and what does he want with you? You didn't really give me a straight answer before."

Lee's question caught Naruto off guard, and he accidentally stepped forward too far. His body carried his weight forward and he tripped, driving his face right into TenTen's chest. It took a few seconds before Naruto's mind snapped back into reality, and he realized where his head currently lay. He quickly pushed himself out as he felt the wind of TenTen's hand move just past his hair. He snapped his head up to see a furious looking TenTen staring straight at him, a fire burning in her eyes. Naruto pushed himself against the opposite side of the wall in fear of what TenTen was going to do.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" came an enraged voice from down the hall, overshadowing the rage the TenTen was getting ready to unleash upon Naruto. Naruto looked down the hall just as one of the doors on the hallway burst open. A tall, lanky, and enraged looking individual stormed out of the room. He wore the vest and head gear ensemble that signified him as at least Chuunin rank for the Hidden Cloud. Unlike the first cloud nin they had met at the mountain's top, this one seemed much grittier, with short cropped hair close to his head. A look of pure rage was contorted on his ugly face. As he quickly emerged from the room, he was dragging a small child by the collar with him. The kid looked only to be about eight or nine years old, and his expression was one of pure terror, his eyes opened wide, with a hint of tears slowly beginning to show around the edges of them. The Chuunin violently threw him against the far wall, the air rushing out of the child's lungs in a small gasp. The kid slumped to the ground, resting his back against the far wall as the tall Chuunin continued to berate him. "You make me sick," he roared, "You're the worst in your class at everything. Last in ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, you're absolutely worthless. You think you can serve the Hidden Cloud and the Eighth with such substandard abilities! You're nothing but dead weight for the rest of the class, fat that needs to be trimmed off! Well, what do you have to say for yourself?"

The kid said nothing at first. He was shaking badly, and was trying very hard to hide the tears and sniffling in his voice. "I…I…I'm s-sorry," he said so softly it was almost a whisper. Naruto could hardly believe his eyes, but something was beginning to well in him. A familiar anger was rising back to the surface.

"Not as sorry as you're going to be," roared the nin back, "Now give me fifty right now you worthless sack of shit!" The child quickly collapsed to stomach and desperately began doing push-ups as fast as he possibly could, the fear and tears welling deep on his eyes. "You're worthless," screamed the instructor, "do you really think you'll be able to serve our clan and the Eighth properly with such stupidity? You're worst in the entire class, probably the school! Maybe even in the history of this village!" The child's sniveling was growing worse now, even though he seemed to be desperately trying to hide it, biting his lip to stop his shuddered breath. His skinny arms were shaking badly now as he forced himself up again. Small droplets were beginning to fall from his eyes and hit the granite floor, eliciting a look of disgust from the instructor.

"Crying again," he said maliciously. There was a heavy silence between them, the only sound being the sniffling sounds the child made in between the strained push-ups he was doing. His body was near collapse now, and his small arms were barely pushing his body up; he wasn't going to complete the task. Suddenly, the instructor slammed his foot against the back of the child, ramming him into the ground with a thud, knocking the wind out of the child in a small gasp. "Push harder idiot," roared the instructor, "with this kind of strength you're only going to be dead weight on the battlefield. Now try harder WORTHLESS!"

"_Worthless! Get away from us! Go away and die! It's better if he's not a ninja. Just ignore him. Demon Child! Just disappear."_

"**Familiar words. Of course, you never did receive as much attention as that boy is did you?" **

"Shut-up. I'm not going to let you manipulate me."

"**I never do anything. It's you who does the action. I cannot control what you do, nor how you feel. Every action, every emotion, every piece of writhing anger and horrid rage within you is you. We are not different. We are the same, beings of pure anger and rage, wanting nothing more than to take our fury out on this world around us."**

"Naruto!" came Lee's voice from behind him. Naruto felt his own legs moving beneath him, almost as if they had a will of their own. He was rushing towards the instructor, hurtling his own body forward at increasing speed. The speed of his attack created its own wind behind him as he dived through the air, a single fist outstretch, aimed straight at the instructors face. Naruto watched almost in slow motion as the man's expression contorted in an odd mix of surprise and alarm before Naruto buried his fist into the man's face, a satisfying crunch of bone striking bone following the tremendous blow. The force of the impact sent the teacher soaring through the air to land with a hard thud against the hard, granite floor. Naruto landed steadily back on his feet, inches away from where the child still lay. The instructor lay still for a moment before slowly pulling himself up with a loud groan. Blood was trickling out the corner of his mouth, and the entire left side of his face seemed swollen. Finally, he pushed himself up to his feet, steadying himself on two wobbly legs.

Naruto's entire body shook under the fury that had so suddenly risen up inside of him. He wasn't sure exactly why he had charged at the man; he didn't even realize he had made the decision. But something inside of him rose to the surface in an instant, and drove any rational thought from his mind, to be replaced only by pure instinct. The feeling still lingered within him, but he was beginning to regain his thoughts and realizing what a mistake he had just made.

"Who the hell do you think you are," slurred the teacher through swollen lips. Naruto looked back at Lee and TenTen, desperate for any support for his actions, but both of them were staring dumbfounded at Naruto's brashness. Naruto had not liked looking at the scene to begin with, but he had enough sense not to attack the instructor. He looked back at the instructor who was mere inches from him now, his mind racing for some rational to explain his actions.

"You…," he said quickly, "you…shouldn't have been doing that." Naruto reinforced his voice, making his tone firm. "You shouldn't treat your students like that!"

"What business is it of-" he cut himself off abruptly as he stared at the Leaf forehead protector that rested on Naruto's head. The instructor gave what sounded like a cross between a laugh and a cough before continuing. "Just like the Leaf to be so stupidly uncontrolled. No wonder your allies betrayed you and decimated your village."

Naruto snapped his head up so that he was eye to eye with the instructor. "I'm not stupid," he said maliciously, "and neither is my village!" he said with such force that the instructor took a few steps back, fear prevalent in his eyes. "You shouldn't treat people like that. It's not right. A teacher should help their students, not-"

"Stupid Leaf!" came a shuddered voice from beneath Naruto. Naruto turned around to see the child back on his feet, his breathing very labored, tears still streaming from his eyes. "It's all your fault. Things wouldn't be like this if you all just…I hate all of you!"

Naruto stared dumbfounded at the child, looking deep into teary eyes that burned with so much hate. 'Do they really hate us that much,' thought Naruto, disbelieving the sight before his eyes. 'How can they…we didn't do any…I…"

"Naruto, behind you," shouted Lee as he desperately ran towards him. Naruto whipped his head around to see the instructor tearing down on him, a kunai held firmly in his hand driving itself towards Naruto's chest. Naruto backpedaled quickly and drew a kunai of his own when suddenly, a hand shot out from behind the instructor, grabbing him firmly by the wrist and pulling him harshly back down to earth.

"Put down your weapon," came a very familiar voice from behind the instructor. Naruto moved back farther, stepping on Lee's foot in the process. Lee let out a quick 'ow', but Naruto continued to watch the scene in front of him. He didn't have a clear view of who was behind the instructor, but he was holding back the instructor's entire body with a weak lock around his wrist. The instructor struggled against his grip, pulling hard against his hand, but his arm seemed locked in place. "I won't ask again," came the chilling voice, "put down your weapon." Naruto felt his emotions begin to rise up within him again, his lips pulling back in a malicious scowl.

"Let go you bastard," yelled the instructor, thrashing furiously against the stranger's grip. Finally, the stranger relinquished his hold around the instructor's wrist, only for the man to turn around and attempt to drive the kunai into the man who held his wrist. Naruto's eyes went wide as he caught glimpse of Sasuke behind the instructor. The instructor roared with fury as he drove his kunai towards Sasuke's head.

Almost effortlessly, Sasuke flicked his arm forward, catching the man by the wrist again, and twisted down hard on it, lurching the instructor's body violently backwards. He then drove his free fist into the instructor's elbow joint, breaking it with a loud crack that echoed through the hall as bone burst forth from beneath the instructor's skin. The roar of fury heard earlier was now a wail of pain as the instructor collapsed to the floor clutching what was left of his arm. "I did warn you," said Sasuke coolly, "Chuunin should have more restraint." The instructor quickly got to his feet, his eyes filled with fear as he sprinted out of sight down towards the hall, a trail of blood leaving a lasting sign of his presence. Sasuke's eyes moved towards Naruto, a cold chilling stare meeting one that burned with fury and rage. A whimpering off to the side took Sasuke's attention off Naruto for a moment and onto the boy who was quivering against the far wall, staring shocked at the pool of blood that sat still at Sasuke's feet. "Get out of here," said Sasuke coolly before returning his attention back to Naruto. Naruto's eyes had never left, but stayed fixated at Sasuke's face, staring bullets into the former Leaf nin. There was a horrible silence between them, interrupted by the quick scampering of the child down the hall his instructor went. Finally, Sasuke opened his mouth to speak but was quickly interrupted by a low growl by Naruto.

"What the hell do you want you bastard," Naruto said through clenched teeth. Sasuke simply stared back at him, making no movement or sign that he had even heard him. He closed his eyes for a moment, seeming to gather his thoughts before trying to speak again.

"I need to talk to you," he said without emotion. His eyes drifted behind Naruto to Lee and TenTen, "Alone". Naruto's eyes drifted to his sides to see both Lee and TenTen standing there, readying themselves for a fight. TenTen had drawn a few kunai, holding them between her fingers while Lee stood in his usual battle stance with his the back of his right hand facing Sasuke with the left behind his back.

Naruto's mind was racing again. 'He wants to talk,' thought Naruto in disbelief, 'I thought he said there was nothing more to say between us. And alone at that. Is he trying to trick me, to get me alone and then have those sound nins ambush me from behind? No, even if he is a traitor, that doesn't sound like something Sasuke would do. Why though?' Naruto allowed himself to take a single deep breath and exhaled it slowly, calming his emotions and getting a clearer grasp of the situation. 'Whatever he wants, I'll deal with it myself.'

"TenTen, Lee," said Naruto, "go back to where we're meeting Gai. I'll catch up." TenTen looked over at Naruto as if someone had just slapped her in the face.

"What," she said in disbelief, "you want us to leave you alone with him? There's no telling what he could be-"

"I'll be fine," replied Naruto calmly. He was trying very hard to keep his voice steady, pushing the fiery emotions inside of him deep down despite how desperately he wanted to let loose. "Just go, and I'll catch up."

TenTen's eyes darted from Naruto to Sasuke, her mouth seeming to want to find some kind of phrase or word that would make Naruto think otherwise, but her mind didn't seem to be able to put the words into a sentence. Naruto's eyes moved to his right back towards Lee. Lee's eyes were still on Sasuke, and he hadn't moved an inch since Naruto looked at him last. "Lee go," he said again, "I'll be fine."

"No," said Lee quickly, still keeping his eyes on Sasuke. Naruto snapped his head in Lee's direction. Naruto was taken aback at how quickly Lee had answered him. Yet still, Lee did not look at him, his dark eyes were affixed at Sasuke, his whole body tensing up.

"Please Lee," said Naruto with a bit more force in his voice, "this is my problem, and I'll deal with it."

"Don't be so selfish Naruto," replied Lee, still keeping his eyes on Sasuke's, "this is the entire village's problem. The Sound still have amnesty, and we're on the Hidden Cloud's ground. It wouldn't be wise to provoke any kind of fight."

"I'm not here to fight," said Sasuke coldly.

"I don't believe you," snapped Lee, his voice becoming very low and fierce, "how can I believe the words of a traitor." Sasuke stared at Lee for a moment before chuckling under his breath at his comment.

Naruto was starting to get irritated at Lee now, and his voice was rising steadily. "I can handle this Lee," said Naruto slowly through clenched teeth, "Go away. I'll meet with you later."

"Naruto we are comrades," said Lee heartily, "we share our problems and burdens and confront them together. This is a problem that concerns all of us, and there may be other Sound nins nearby. You could use our-"

"I'm not stupid Lee," growled Naruto, the anger rising in his voice now. He was beyond mere irritation with Lee. 'Does he think I'm weak?' thought Naruto, 'I can handle this. It's not like I haven't thought about the possibility of an ambush. I can think on my own. I don't need his help. I don't need anyone's help. Sasuke is mine to deal with. He's mine, not anyone else's. Why doesn't he see that? What's wrong with him? This is my fight…my…enemy…and no one else's!'

"I am not implying that you are Naruto," said Lee, keeping his voice steady, "I just think that-"

Naruto flung his arms out and grabbed Lee by the front of his jumpsuit. He immediately pulled down hard on Lee so that they were face to face with each other. Naruto glared furiously at Lee who returned a very surprised and distraught expression back to him. "I don't care what you think Lee," roared Naruto, "now get the hell OUT OF HERE!" Naruto felt a feeling of déjà vu come over him. He remembered the same scene in the alleys of Konoha; him berating Lee, and Lee staring almost sadly back at him. However, this time, Lee's expression did not last as long. Lee rose his own arms up quickly and brought them down between themselves, breaking Naruto's grip on his jumpsuit and leaving a very painful stinging on Naruto's forearms. Rather than solemn, Lee looked defiantly down at him, an angry almost hurt look staring down at Naruto. But Naruto returned his gaze, not blinking as a heavy silence hang between them.

"Such fragile bonds," chuckled Sasuke, "I remember why I am a traitor now." Lee shot a quick look over at Sasuke before returning Naruto's gaze once again. There was a very dark expression on his face that Naruto had not seen before. Lee had always been someone who was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things and never stopping no matter how hard things got. But now, Lee was looking at him with almost a look of resentment. Naruto felt somewhat guilty that he had been so short with his friends, but he wanted to speak to Sasuke alone as well. Finally, Lee looked over at TenTen and jerked his head down the hall where they came from. He turned on his heel and walked slowly down the hall as Naruto watched him go.

TenTen stared at Lee in disbelief. "You're just going to leave him alone?" she yelled down at Lee. Lee made no indication that he heard her but continued walking down the hall. "C'mon Lee you can't-"

"If he doesn't want my help, I can't force it on him," said Lee slowly, not stopping to even look behind him, "I trust him enough so that he won't be too brash. There's nothing else that needs to be said." Lee continued walking away from Naruto, not even looking behind him. TenTen looked back and forth between Lee and Naruto before giving a frustrated yell.

"Better not do anything stupid," she growled at Naruto before quickly following Lee down the hall. Naruto could feel pangs of guilt down in his stomach, but any feelings he had slowly washed away as he turned to face Sasuke once again. When he could no longer hear the footsteps of his comrades, Naruto spoke.

"Well we're alone," said Naruto, "what do you want? A fight? I'm not that stupid. I won't fight you here. But I will take you down when I can."

"Do you know what a distraction is Naruto," said Sasuke coolly. Naruto looked back at him surprised that Sasuke was asking such odd questions. "A distraction is an obstacle blocking your goal. It impedes your concentration and blocks your view of your dream. If something was blocking your dream of becoming Hokage, what would you do Naruto?" Sasuke waited for Naruto to answer, but at the moment Naruto was far too confused to answer him.

'What the hell is he talking about,' thought Naruto, 'distractions? Is this what he came to tell me?'

"You get rid of it," said Sasuke finally, "you eliminate its presence from this world and carry on. You kick it out of the way like a pebble on the side of the road and move forward. You are a distraction Naruto." As soon as Sasuke said this, Naruto tensed his body up, preparing for any attack that would come from his front. Sasuke laughed openly, watching Naruto prepare himself for a fight. "So predictable. Still, everything at Konoha, you, team 7, the bonds we shared, they were nothing more than distractions. On the day Itachi came to Konoha, I realized this." Sasuke smiled to himself at this comment, "I suppose I should thank my brother for bringing me back to my senses. I am an avenger, and I will eliminate all distractions that keep me from my goal!"

Sasuke reached down to his belt and quickly flicked a kunai in Naruto's direction. Naruto took a step back as the kunai stuck in the ground in front of him with a loud clang of metal hitting stone. Naruto scowled at Sasuke, but something attached to the kunai caught his eye. He bent down and plucked a small, folded piece of paper of the end of the kunai. "Open it," said Sasuke. Naruto's eyes kept on Sasuke as he slowly unfolded the small, white slip. There was something written on it:

Sector 7

By the third river in the first clearing at 12 noon on the second day

Or when the sun is highest in the sky

"What the hell does this mean," snapped Naruto back at Sasuke.

"You'll understand when the second exam starts," replied Sasuke, "this is where we end things Naruto, between you and me. This is where any bonds, any lingering feelings, everything ends. Only one of us will walk away from that place, and I've beaten you before Naruto, I can do it again."

Naruto said nothing at first. In reality, he didn't know how to respond. Sasuke had just called him out for a last fight. It's not like he hadn't expected this at some point. He knew they would fight again in these exams, but now that it was actually happening, it seemed almost surreal. 'This is real,' thought Naruto, 'this is where he plans to finish me off."

"_You mustn't give up Naruto. The amazing bond formed between you two will come back full force as long as you don't give up on Sasuke. I'm sure he'll come back into the fold someday." _

'No thickbrows. We're well past that. He doesn't want to come back and nothing I say is going to change that. The only way he looks at me anymore is as an obstacle. A…distraction. I don't want to feel alone, and I admit, I still want him to return, to be a brother to me…but…we're past that now. I can't feel anything for him anymore; if I do, he'll just end up leaving me alone again, or even killing me. This is it. This is where our bonds truly end.'

"Alright Sasuke," said Naruto, "if you really want to finish this…I'll come. But I won't lose. And I'll beat you." Never before had Naruto felt so hollow inside; it was as if the only bond he had ever made had just been pulled on violently, snapping whatever emotions were left. All he felt now to fill the void, was an immense rage and anger that had been brewing inside of his heart for too long.

Naruto looked up at Sasuke, wondering if he should try again, that maybe, just maybe, Sasuke would come to his senses. That everything would go back to the way it was before. Kakashi would reform team 7; they would go on missions and reform the bonds they had. 'But,' thought Naruto, 'that won't happen. That's not real. The only thing that's real here is me and Sasuke.

Naruto watched as Sasuke walked slowly away from him down towards the other end of the hall. He watched him move farther and farther away, not daring to blink for a moment as he watched Sasuke fade into the darkness of the hall.

"I can't believe you just left him there," yelled TenTen, "he could have really used our help, and you just left him with that bastard traitor?" Lee continued to walk down the hall without the slightest sign that he was even listening to her scolding. "And what was going on between you two? You looked like you were about to tear into each other. Lee? LEE?" But Lee continued to walk forward slowly, not even turning his head or slowing his pace any. Finally, out of frustration, TenTen grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him completely around. She stared defiantly up at his face, expecting Lee to be furious, or at least somewhat peeved. What she saw instead was an immense sadness on Lee's face. His dark eyes were half-closed, staring down at her solemnly while the rest of his face seemed only to amplify his expression. TenTen took a few steps back, shocked at how sad Lee looked. "Lee," said TenTen in disbelief, "what's wrong?"

Lee said nothing at first, though he looked like he was trying to find the right words to say. "TenTen," he finally said, "do you think I'm…weak?"

TenTen gave Lee and odd look for a moment before rolling her eyes at Lee. "Is that what this is all about Lee," said TenTen, "no Lee, I don't think you're weak. You're one of the strongest Genin to come out of Konoha."

"But not the strongest," replied Lee, still in a sullen mood.

"Oh come on Lee," said TenTen exasperated, "is this about the spar you two had a few days ago. Look, I was surprised too at how strong Naruto was, but that's no reason for you to be so down. I mean, it's not like you've never encountered strong opponents before?"

"This is different though," said Lee, "with every other opponent I've had, it was always some kind of bloodline or innate ability they had that made them superior. In that case, I could find some way to defeat them, like Gai-sensei taught me. Within every offense, every jutsu, there is always a weakness that can be exploited. But with Naruto, it just seems like he has this…power. I could feel it back there, some kind of inner power that just gives him an infinite amount of strength. With the others, they had some kind of skill or ability that I could find some way around. But with Naruto…I don't know. It just seems that no matter how strong I get, there are always people a step ahead of me."

"Well then you should probably just give up," said TenTen indignantly. Now it was Lee's turn to stare in disbelief. "I mean, if Naruto' stronger than you, you should probably just give up trying to beat him. In fact you should just give up all together; because with all the pouting you've been doing lately that's exactly what it looks like you should be doing. You think you're the only one ever to feel inferior? In the first Chuunin exam I didn't last one minute against Temari. How do you think I felt? Inferior? Weak even? Lee you work harder than anyone I've ever met, ever seen even. You even make Gai-sensei look like a slacker. So stop brooding over who's stronger than you and start working idiot!"

Lee looked at TenTen completely stunned, with a very stupid expression plastered on his face. Suddenly, he broke out in a roaring laughter ending with a very loud warcry. "You're absolutely right TenTen," yelled Lee excitedly, "I am the Great Azure Beast Rock Lee! I cannot let something so trivial get in the way of my goals. I will train doubly hard from now on. I will collapse every night from exhaustion only to rise again as the The Great Rock Lee!"

"Something like that," chuckled TenTen. She hated seeing Lee in a bad mood, even as rare as it was. Even when he was acting weird, he did always seem to brighten the room when he was like this. "Alright, we have to meet Gai later on and-" Suddenly, TenTen's mood completely changed. A familiar feeling was washing over her, yet it was different somehow. She looked over at Lee who was in the same state. She could hear something, and she strained her ears to pinpoint the sound. The loud, metallic thud of heavy boots was hitting the floor of the hall, growing louder and louder with every step. Lee stood very still, moving his eyes down the hallway, looking for a shape of some kind. TenTen put her hands to her belt, but did not draw a kunai. She waited, her back pressed against the wall as she felt the presence come closer.

A tall nin dressed completely in a long, white robe appeared at the end of the hall. Despite the fact that he had a familiar, threatening feeling about him, he did not give off any air of a threat. In fact, it looked like a strong wind would blow him over. His entire body save his neck and head was underneath a loose robe that wrapped around his body, giving way to a loose pair of pants that rippled with every step he took, ending in two white, metallic boots. His face was completely without blemish, and was a very white pale color. However, the most striking thing about him was the pale, almost white, green eyes that seemed to reflect the light itself. He showed no signs of war, but walked calmly and smoothly across the granite floor, looking straight ahead. Lee and TenTen watched as he passed in-between them without acknowledging either's existence, but just walking on towards the end of the hallway. TenTen watched him go until a curve in the hall took him out of sight. "Did you feel something…odd about him?" asked TenTen when she was sure the nin was gone.

"Yeah," replied Lee, "something I've felt before. Oh well, nothing to worry about I guess. We have more important matters to attend to. However, we should be patient, and wait for Naruto."

TenTen nodded in agreement, but couldn't shake the uneasy feeling inside of her. It was almost like a blaring warning, a chill that ran through her body. She had felt it before on the side of the mountain when meeting the nin in red. 'I don't like any of this,' she thought, 'there's too many unknowns going on in this exam. I don't like it at all.'

'Is this really what I want,' thought Sasuke as he walked back to Orochimaru's room. The granite hallway seemed so much darker now as night was slowly falling upon the Hidden Cloud Village, the lights began to flicker off, leaving Sasuke to walk alone in the darkness. 'Am I letting Orochimaru manipulate me again,' continued Sasuke, 'Is Naruto really the threat, the distraction he was made out to be? What if this isn't necessary? Am I making a huge mistake?' Sasuke felt the old feelings of regret begin to well up within him. Ever since he had met Naruto, old feelings were resurfacing, making him feel nostalgic. 'Was it all just…a distraction?'

Suddenly, Sasuke rammed his fist hard against the granite wall. "No," he said aloud, "I cannot start second guessing myself. I can't let my mind be thrown off by old feelings. I have to focus. Naruto is confounding my mind, and I can't let that happen anymore. I have to avenge my clan. I must kill my brother. I must-" Sasuke was cut off by the rush of footsteps in front of him. He looked far into the darkness to see three Cloud nins that looked to be of at least Chuunin rank. Each of them looked like some kind of military official, but whether that was true Sasuke could not tell. They were armed, though, as Sasuke could hear the clanking of kunai and other weaponry on their belts as they approached. They stopped suddenly as soon as they reached him. Sasuke took his hand off the wall and stared at them inquisitively. 'What now?' he thought irritated.

"That's him," yelled a familiar, shuddering voice. Sasuke peered farther into the darkness and caught a glimpse of the instructor he had met earlier peering from behind one of the guards. His body shook badly, his eyes wide with fear and hatred. The arm Sasuke had broken earlier was bandaged against his body. "There's that bastard who attacked me from behind like a coward!" Sasuke glared hard at the small man, making him duck back behind the three nins.

"Sound nin," said the largest of the three in a deep, monotone voice, "while your clan has been granted amnesty, that gives you no right to attack those associated with the Cloud. Under grounds of assault, I'm afraid I will have to take you into custody for an undisclosed period of time."

"How do you like that you brat," gloated the instructor, breaking into triumphant laughter. "Looks like you're going to miss your little exam now! That's what you get!"

"Please come with us," said one of the other nins as they began to approach Sasuke. Sasuke smiled to himself, crossing his arms over his body in an arrogant pose.

"I'm afraid I won't be coming quietly," he said with a threatening undertone, "I don't have time to mess with the local law enforcement. If you want me, you're going to have to take me by force." The three nins stopped dead in their tracks, each of them shocked at Sasuke's brash behavior. They looked quickly at each other for some plan of action. Sasuke grinned inwardly; 'These idiots aren't any threat,' he thought, 'but they might be good for some last minute exercise.'

"What are you waiting for," roared the instructor behind them. He had backed up considerably since the nins had come forward and was slinking in the shadows, watching the scene unfold. "He's only one brat. Just break a few bones, then he'll cooperate." The three nins in front nodded to each other before reaching for their weapons. Sasuke smiled as he readied himself for combat.

"Stop," echoed a cold and eerie voice across the hallway. The three nins acted like they had been stunned and froze in place as the sound of metallic steps echoed closer towards them. Sasuke chanced a quick look behind him to see a nin, completely clad in white, emerge quickly from the shadows behind them. He looked quite odd, and particularly weak. There was an odd aura about him that Sasuke remembered feeling before, but he could not place a face with it. The voice sounded familiar as well, but Sasuke's mind could not match a name with it. "Do not touch your weapons," commanded the voice again as the nin came closer. He was at least taller than Sasuke by a few inches, but did not seem of adult height. As he came closer Sasuke suddenly remembered him.

'I've met this man before,' he thought quickly, 'he talked to me before the first exam after my meeting with Naruto.' The nin came closer as Sasuke was beginning to get a cornered feeling with Cloud nins on either side of him with no visible place to run.

"Who are you," came the deep-voice nin again.

"Consider me an emissary of the Raikage," said the white-clad nin, 'Thus, consider my words the words of the Raikage. The boy you are about to apprehend so roughly is Uchiha Sasuke, whom I believe the Raikage ordered no nin to touch."

"He attacked me," yelled the instructor at the nin. The white-clad nin slowly turned his head down the hallway to where the instructor lay huddled against a wall.

"If you want to question the Raikage's judgment," said the white-nin, his voice seemingly frozen in tone, "I'm sure he would be more than willing to discuss his motives with you. That is, if you're willing to waste his time with such trivial nonsense. The Eighth's judgment should be unquestioned, despite which circumstances surround it. Live and serve the Hidden Cloud that is your life, and the Eighth is the Hidden Cloud. I have neither the rank nor the experience that you have, but I still know this. Should not persons of your sort know better?" Sasuke watched the scene unfold before him. On one side, the strange, white-clad nin seemed to be scolding nin of much higher rank than him. However, the nin's words seemed to have a profound impact on them as they stood completely still before him, barely daring to breath as they contemplated what he had just spoken. Slowly, the three nins turned on their heels and walked back to where they came, giving a fleeting glimpse to Sasuke as they left. The instructor stared at the nin in white dumbfounded completely by what had just happened. He moved his mouth as if to speak, but only a glutted gibberish came out. He followed suit shortly, running after the three nin. When Sasuke could no longer hear any of their footsteps, he quickly turned his back to the hallway and faced the nin in white.

"I've met you before," said Sasuke, "what the hell do you want this time. I don't have time for meaningless conversation." The white-nin stared lazily at Sasuke in a loose stance. He didn't seem to be here to fight, but that could easily change. "What's your name then?" asked Sasuke impatiently.

"Kusemono Julius," replied the nin slowly, letting every syllable of the name engrave itself into Sasuke's mind. "I am merely seeking to quiet the thousands of voices that cry out for your blood to be spilt upon the earth."

"What the hell are you talking about," said Sasuke impertinently. He had enough of these cryptic messages Julius had been spouting. "If you want to fight, you should have just said so. I can easily release you from your mortal coil." The nin did not move, or show any signs that he was even alive. Suddenly his eyes went very wide.

"To gauge your strength," Julius said coolly, "that was my mission. And this time, I will not allow you to leave so easily." Julius held out a single hand and beckoned him forward. Sasuke smiled mockingly at the nin in front of him.

'I could just run from this,' thought Sasuke, 'but this won't take long.' Sasuke stared at Julius for a moment before bending his knees low, allowing his body to come closer to the floor. He tensed the muscles in his legs as he watched for the slightest movement from his opponent. 'Using a jutsu would draw too much attention. And using the Sharingan shouldn't even be necessary. I'll just take this idiot down the old-fashioned way.'

Sasuke made his move, sprinting faster than the wind and quickly closing the gap between himself and Julius. The air whipped around him as he blurred across the hallway towards his target. Julius made no movement to counter, nor any movement at all. Sasuke pushed himself lower to the floor, feeling his feet barely touch the floor at such speeds. Finally, he pulled an arm back and thrust his entire body forward towards Julius, driving his fist deep into his opponent's stomach. The resounding impact echoed across the hall like a bolt of thunder, and the sheer force of the blow caused Julius' robe to shake as if in a fierce storm.

Sasuke gritted his teeth hard and his eyes went wide as his body responded to the tremendous, surging pain that had suddenly appeared in his fist. He felt like he had just hit a steel wall. He looked up. Julius had not even moved an inch from the blow, nor did he show any indication of pain, but he looked down at Sasuke coolly, emotionless, almost like he wasn't even alive. Sasuke quickly flipped backwards until he had cleared a short distance between them, landing steadily on his feet. His right hand was still shaking badly from the impact. 'What the hell,' thought Sasuke, 'armor of some sort? But I'm sure I hit flesh; I could feel it. Who in the hell?'

"I knew the Uchiha were powerful," said Julius, "but I had no idea they could hit so hard. That was a most impressive blow. However," Julius slowly raised his right arm and pulled the cloth away from it, revealing a heavily tattooed forearm. Different designs and seals seemed to litter it; none of which Sasuke had seen before. "…I have lived for this day. I was made for the purpose of revenge. And killing the last of the Uchihas will make my ordeal that much closer to completion!" Julius charged forward this time, closing the gap between himself and Sasuke nearly as fast as Sasuke had. Sasuke jumped backwards just as Julius reached him, watching Julius drive his own right hand forward and strike the ground where Sasuke had stood moments before. The entire hallway shook like a bomb had gone off right in front of him, and granite dust and debris rose into the air from the impact. Sasuke shielded his eyes as he retreated farther from the blast, pulling a kunai from out behind his belt as he searched for any sign of Julius in the dust.

"Uchihas are fast too," came a voice from behind Sasuke. Sasuke snapped his head around to see Julius standing inches from him. His arm was already coming across in a swift chopping motion towards Sasuke. Sasuke had no choice but to block it, raising his arms in front of his face to intercept Julius' hand. The blow connected with Sasuke's forearms and a gigantic surge of pain shot through him as the blow found its mark. Sasuke was thrown backwards towards the crater Julius had made earlier, desperately trying to find some form of footing in midair. He landed awkwardly on the stones that had been thrown out from Julius' initial strike at the ground.

'Damn he's fast,' thought Sasuke, 'well, if he wants to see the power of an Uchiha, I'll show him!' Sasuke concentrated chakra towards his eyes as his Sharingan came out full bloom, the black eye being replaced by a red, dotted iris. Sasuke looked upwards towards Julius, who was already moving quickly around, trying to get behind Sasuke again. 'I've got you!' Sasuke jumped forward towards the image of Julius, timing his motions perfectly. He clasped his right hand around his left and contorted his body to drive his left elbow in Julius' face. The blow landed perfectly, knocking Julius precisely on the chin as he ran straight into Sasuke's waiting attack. Sasuke felt the force from Julius' movements propel him backwards, and a hard pain shot through his elbow. Sasuke landed on his feet, skidding his sandals across the granite floor as he looked up at Julius. He had stopped completely, standing before Sasuke with a look of almost awe on his face. Slowly, a small sliver of blood appeared on the corner of his mouth to viscously dribble down to his chin, hitting the floor in small droplets.

"You've drawn first blood Uchiha," said Julius, "Congratulations. I think that is enough for today. I don't want to overexert you anymore." He bowed reverently to Sasuke and turned on his heel. He slowly began to stride towards the end of the hallway.

"Turning your back on an opponent isn't wise," said Sasuke mockingly. 'I don't care if I do draw attention; I'm taking this bastard down now!' Sasuke kept his eyes on the small of Julius' back, his intended target, and began to circulate chakra towards his left hand. Suddenly, his left hand exploded in a bright, cackling light that shot lightning across the room. He pulled his arm backwards, creating a large crevice in the wall next to him as he accelerated towards Julius. Sasuke brought his arm slowly forward, moving the Chidori to his front, intending to bury it in Julius' back. He drove forward, mere inches from his target now.

It all happened in an instant. Without even turning around, Julius allowed his legs to split apart so that they were parallel with the floor, leaving nothing but empty air for Sasuke to pierce. Sasuke's eyes went wide with fear as he flew straight over Julius. 'How the hell did I miss his movements,' thought Sasuke, 'the Sharingan-' But Sasuke did not have time to finish his thought as Julius threw a massive, open palmed hit straight into his stomach, forcing Sasuke upwards and into the granite ceiling. Sasuke felt his lungs collapse under the pressure in one gigantic exhale as every bit of air was knocked out of him. His impact cracked the ceiling above him as the surging pain had moved its way towards its ribs, signifying a few broken ones. However, Sasuke maintained his concentration and kept the Chidori active. He concentrated hard until he could see the image of Julius once again. He allowed himself to free fall downwards, flipping his body painfully forward in prediction of the image of Julius turning around. Even before he made the movement, Sasuke watched the image of Julius stand up from his current position and turn around.

'I've got you this time you son of a bitch,' thought Sasuke as he brought his still lighted hand forward. Julius had just stood straight up as the image had predicted and Sasuke was ready, driving his hand forward to strike Julius' back once again. Sasuke felt the fingers of the Chidori hit its mark, grazing through Julius' garments and into the flesh of his back. Sasuke dragged his hand downward as the Chidori burned into Julius' flesh. Julius arched his back in response but made no other indication that the strike had hit its mark.

The smell of scorched flesh filled the air as Sasuke landed on his feet to see five, long, bleeding streaks imprinted in Julius' back. Sasuke stared up at his work, noticing more of the black marks and seals that crisscrossed Julius' back only to be interrupted where the clothing began again. Sasuke jumped back quickly, full expecting another attack. The Chidori had since expired on his hand, and he was re-channeling the chakra to that area for another strike. However, Julius made no indication of an attack, but continued walking down the hallway. Sasuke watched in shock as the marks on Julius' back began to cauterize and steam, forming five deep scars on his back.

"Running away," yelled Sasuke, "why not finish this now?" Julius stopped suddenly as an eerie silence now hung between them amidst the debris and blood that scattered the hallway. Julius slowly turned his head until one of his pale-green eyes was looking towards Sasuke.

"Not now," said Julius stoically, "this is neither the time nor place. I will be the one to erase your foul existence from this earth, but until then…" Julius made his way further into the hallway until darkness slowly enshrouded him and took him from Sasuke's sight. Sasuke rested his body against the far wall. Despite the short amount of time the skirmish lasted, his body was aching all over. He could feel the bones of his ribs poking against his skin, showing most of them as cracked or broken. Every breath he took seemed labored and painful as the air whistled hard against his larynx. His right hand still stung, along with his left elbow, but other than that, nothing permanent. Sasuke looked up towards the ceiling at the imprint of his body left cracked there.

"He was so strong," Sasuke said aloud, "who the hell is he? In any case, I won't let that happen again. When I see him again, I'll kill him. I have more important matters to attend to now." Sasuke waited until he was sure Julius was out of sight before continuing on towards Orochimaru's lair.

Next chapter will be up tomorrow. March 20.


	29. Part 47: Artfully Done

Part 4.8: Artfully Done

Naruto, Lee, and TenTen finally walked quickly into the spacious cafeteria they had promised to meet Gai in nearly half an hour ago. Naruto had met up with his comarades a few minutes ago, and there was still a stony silence between them. Naruto wanted to break the air somehow, but he knew Lee would be feeling particularly apprehensive if they were too late. They entered through a pair of thin, double doors into a wide cafeteria. Despite the fact that the place was a cafeteria, there was very little smell to it besides the obnoxious odor of granite stone that pierced his nostrils ever since he entered into the building. Naruto looked for any sign of food in the cavernous hallway, but could not detect anything edible in the area. Unlike the hallways and rooms before, this one looked like it had been chiseled out from the side of a mountain. It was a simple sphere that encircled the entire area. None of the area on the walls was polished or looked remotely clean, unlike most of the stone. Overhead light fixtures illuminated parts of the area, leaving small patches of darkness to dot the corners and sides of the rooms. Nothing in the room looked remotely comfortable, as the long benches and tables in the room were carved out of the same granite as the entire building. Naruto walked into a patch of light, searching desperately for food of any kind. It had been nearly a day since he had a decent meal, and his stomach was beginning to wage war on his body in search of food. His gut gave a particularly loud growl to emphasize the point that seemed to echo across the gaping hall.

"YO," shouted a familiar voice from behind the team. Naruto and TenTen jumped three feet into the air, while Lee, beckoned by his sensei's voice, began to turn in all directions and in a raised salute. "I see my triumphant students have FINALLY come at their sensei's discretion. The Great Azure Beast Maito Gai knows infinite realms of patience, but that does not mean my students should not be prompt."

"Forgive us Gai-sensei," shouted Lee, like he was addressing a commanding officer, "we needed time to mend ourselves and are very sorry for making you wait." Gai scratched his chin, full in thought as he stared at the trio. Suddenly, he burst out in huge, guffawing laughter that seemed to shake the room itself.

"No harm done my students," he shouted excitedly, "for you see, the Great Azure Beast understands the need to recuperate and prepare for the most difficult challenges that await you." There was an akward silence between them for a moment as Gai did a series of poses, leading into yet another loud speech. "Isn't it exciting my pupils?" yelled Gai, "you have completed the first of your amazing ordeals and now move onto the second. The energy of your passionate youth drives you forward faster than even an amazing ninja such as myself could fathom. Look up my students!" Gai suddenly threw a single arm overhead, pointing upwards towards the ceiling. Naruto, Lee, and TenTen slowly craned their necks upward to stare at the fluorescent lighting Gai was pointing at. "It is there, at the very top where only the most amazing and greatest of nins find their place, there is where you shall go! You shall surpass them all as students of Maito Gai, and become the greatest of the great, shining brighter than the stars themselves as the entire world looks up at you! You are the greatest of youth! The most amazing and magnificent of nin! You are BRILLIANT!" He ended with a huge double-bicep pose with the largest frothing ocean Naruto had ever seen appear behind him, crashing loudly against the rocks that magically appeared beneath his feet.

Naruto and TenTen stared dumbfounded at their sensei's embarrassing behavior, while Lee looked on, seemingly star struck. "You know," whispered Naruto to TenTen, "he'd be a great sensei if he wasn't so weird." TenTen giggled slightly at the statement and nodded in agreement. "That's very…um…cool Gai-sensei," said Naruto halfheartedly, "but you did mention FOOD the last time you met with us right?"

"Ah yes," said Gai, coming slowly back to reality, "my students no doubt require sustenance to fuel their bodies for the upcoming examination. And the Brilliant Beast always keeps his word." Gai beckoned his students to follow him to the back of the room as he walked deeper into a heavily shadowed area. Naruto could feel his mouth salivate at the prospect of any kind of food. Surprisingly, not many people held the same idea, as the spacious area seemed quite barren, save for a few stray nins sitting by themselves at some nearby tables. Naruto pushed any other people from his mind though and concentrated his thoughts on food. As they approached a particularly long, granite table, the absence of the smell of food was beginning to worry Naruto considerably. 'Whatever we're eating,' he thought concerned, 'it sure isn't ramen.'

Team Gai finally reached an elongated table with several different servers on either end of it. They were dipping huge ladles into steaming pots of viscous, steaming liquid that had a very pungent aroma to it as Naruto came closer. "This is basically all they serve here," said Gai, "so be sure to eat your fill, as the second test will be approaching soon." Naruto looked closer as the servers began filling bowls with the hot liquid and pushing it towards the center of the table. Gai grabbed one quickly in while it was still moving, along with a small spoon at the end of the table. He gave Naruto an encouraging thumbs up as he picked an area amidst the tables to sit. Naruto watched as another bowl slowly stopped in front of him. The texture of the stuff reminded him of the Spamen the old ramen dealer had pawned off on him. He plucked a spoon from the table and prodded the odd, yellowish liquid, bringing square chunks of different substances to the top. He took in a deep breath through his nose as he tried to get the exact odor of the substance. A very sharp, horrid odor punctured into his nostrils like a thousand needles, almost making him feel physical pain as his brain sent warning signals through his body. He began coughing immediately as his body tried to send the noxious odor from his body. He looked over at TenTen and Lee for their reactions. TenTen was reluctant to even pick up the substance, but as soon as Gai had picked up a bowl of the strange food, Lee had already stacked three along his arms, following his sensei back to a table. Naruto sighed and picked up the bowl himself. He felt hungry enough to eat anything, and as long as it was edible, it was somewhat appealing. TenTen slowly followed suit, though she had a very repugnant look plastered to her face as she sat down next to her comrades.

"So my pupils," said Gai as soon as they all sat down, "how was the first exam? Did it rigorously test your bodies and minds only for your innate instincts to take over along with the teachings of your most brilliant sensei to make every obstacle seem simple?" Another awkward silence answered Gai's question as no one really knew how to answer it.

"It was interesting," said TenTen finally, scooping up spoonfuls of the broth only to tip her spoon down and allowing the viscous substance to fall back into the bowl, "I've never had to maintain a chakra grip like that for such a long period of time." Naruto nodded in agreement; he too never had to keep so much chakra circulated to his feet before. Naruto looked over to Lee, who was rubbing his neck nervously at the question. Naruto felt slightly guilty talking about keeping a chakra hold when Lee could not even keep hold of one for a second.

"We did encounter some opposition Gai-sensei," said Lee, quickly changing the subject, "A group of Sound-nins attacked from above."

"Sound nins," said Gai, his tone quickly changing to a concerned one, "they will probably be a constant obstacle throughout these exams. Keep your eyes and ears open as this may not be the last you have heard from them. I wish I could help my students, but you seem to have done a fine job on your own. Anything else of interest happen?"

"Well there was one other thing," said TenTen. She was looking straight at Naruto when she said that, and Naruto knew immediately what she was going to say. He shot her a reproachful look, hoping that she would get the message to drop the subject. "…but it's not really important." Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. He had no desire to talk about Set at all. His mind was already reeling with thoughts of Sasuke, and he did not wish to bring up the strange nin that had been troubling him since he entered the country.

"Hmm, I see," said Gai. Something in his tone made Naruto think that he was not satisfied with that, but thankfully, he let the subject drop. Gai turned his attention back to his soup and picked up the steaming bowl with one hand, dipping the end straight into his mouth and draining the contents in a matter of seconds. Naruto, TenTen, and Lee all watched in amazement as Gai took in a large breath of air and slammed the bowl back on the table, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "Most refreshing," yelled Gai, "with a very pungent kick, worthy of battle with the Great Azure Beast!" Lee looked up at Gai in awe, and proceeded to copy his motions, picking up one of his own bowls and draining the contents quickly. When he finally finished, he slammed his own bowl down as well, breathing heavily as he blinked tears from his eyes. Naruto looked straight at Lee, and then down at his own bowl of steaming, yellow liquid. He slowly picked it up with both hands and held it in front of him. The odor had not improved, and it still stung his nostrils like a shot. However, Naruto merely shrugged and downed the bowl himself. In a matter of seconds, the bowl was empty, leaving a bitter and strong taste in Naruto's mouth.

'Not bad,' Naruto thought, 'sure is a strange brew though.' He looked over to TenTen who looked absolutely repulsed at the thought. "You're missing out," said Naruto, "I'm gonna get some more."

"Pick your sensei up one too while you are in the area," yelled Gai after him as Lee downed the rest of his helpings quickly. Naruto laughed aloud at this, realizing that it had been some time since he had laughed beforehand. Things were beginning to pile on him so quickly now. With Sasuke's challenge now hovering over his head like a dagger ready to fall, Naruto had little time to laugh anymore. 'It's been tough,' thought Naruto, 'but I've got to stay focused. I can't lose control, and I can't-' A familiar sensation shot through Naruto quickly, sending a jolt through his nervous system. His entire body shot straight up. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as an odd chill went through his body, like a cold hand had just raked across his skin. 'He's here,' thought Naruto, 'where is he.' Two bowls of the frothing soup came before him, knocking him out of his trance. He quickly picked them up, his eyes searching for signs of him. 'I know you're here Set' thought Naruto apprehensively, 'now where are you?'

Suddenly, just as soon as the feeling arrived, it stopped, and Naruto's body relaxed from sending panic through his system. 'What the hell was that,' thought Naruto, 'I could have sworn…maybe not. Maybe it's just cold. But…no…no it's nothing. I can't worry about him anyway.' Naruto quickly walked back over to the table and handed a bowl to his sensei.

"Ah, thank you young student," said Gai graciously, quickly downing the soup as soon as Naruto passed it to him. He slammed the bowl back on the table and quickly wiped his mouth. "Now that you've all passed the first exam, you should know where and when the second is taking place. The second exam is taking place underground in an odd training facility the Hidden Cloud have set up for this occasion. An entrance to this location is located at the bottom of the building we are currently in. It takes place around noon tomorrow, so I suggest you all get some rest fairly soon."

"What's this test like," asked Naruto.

"I'm not sure of all the details," replied Gai, "but I do know that this test will not have team associations, so you all may be on your own. In any case, try to help each other out when you can." Naruto nodded along with his friends.

"What about the other tests," asked TenTen.

"I know there are three all together," said Gai, coughing slightly, "along with a preliminary similar to the one held during Konoha's Chuunin exam. The final test takes place in the most ancient of Hidden Cloud buildings, the Coliseum."

"What's that," asked Lee.

"Well," said Gai, clearing his throat loudly and attempting to loosen the collar around his jumpsuit, "it's a building that has stood for quite some time in the Hidden Cloud territory. It is where the most important of events happen for the Hidden Cloud. It is also the largest building on the continent, having been renovated several times. Still it is," Gai was coughing very loudly now, and his face was looking flush as sweat began to drip from his forehead.

"Are you alright Gai-sensei," asked Lee quickly, "do you need some water perhaps?"

"No," said Gai, his voice hoarse now, "I think I just ate too fast. Sometimes even a Great Azure Beast can-" his words were cut off by another bought of loud coughing. Gai covered his mouth, attempting to muffle the sound. Naruto stood up, looking for some form of water while Lee and TenTen did the same.

Suddenly, Gai gave a loud retching noise as blood spewed from his mouth onto the table. Gai's eyes went wide for a moment before he collapsed to the floor in a heap. "Gai-sensei," shouted Lee, "GAI-SENSEI!" Blood was streaming from Gai's mouth now as his body seemed unable to support itself. Lee quickly hoisted Gai's prone body onto his shoulders and ran from the room, back towards the infirmary where he had been treated earlier. Naruto and TenTen followed after quickly, helping Lee to support Gai's heavy body.

The long hallway was very dark now, and it seemed endless despite the fact that Lee was moving full blast down it, with Naruto and TenTen struggling to keep up. They passed door after door, all the same color, with all the same design. It felt like they were moving around in circles, with every second passed meaning Gai died a little more. Finally, Lee skidded to a halt and kicked the infirmary door down, with Naruto and TenTen panting heavily behind him.

"What the hell is going on here," screamed the doctor as Lee entered, "you can't just barge in." Gai let loose another loud cough as more blood issued out from his mouth. "Holy shit," yelled the doctor, finally coming to terms with the situation, "Emergency! Bring a stretcher!" A few more doctors and nurses burst from the double doors behind them wheeling a long stretcher with them. The doctors quickly took Gai off Lee's shoulders and placed him carefully on the stretcher, wheeling him into the back room. Lee quickly followed after only to be stopped by the head doctor.

"Stay out here kid," yelled the doctor quickly, strapping a surgical mask to his face, "there's nothing you can do in there." He quickly slammed and locked the double doors behind him as a red light went turned on the top of the door frame. Lee was breathing sporadically, and he was panicking badly.

"What happened to him," he said, panic reeling in his voice, "He was fine a second ago and then this, and what the hell?" Lee suddenly went very quiet and stared fixated at the red light on top of the door. TenTen moved towards him, but thought better of it, moving instead towards a long couch in the receptionist area. She sat down, sighing heavily as she did. Naruto looked over at Lee, who was standing completely still now, staring at the red light, his eyes tearing up, but not blinking for a second. Naruto slowly made his way over next to TenTen and sat on the soft couch. Unlike the rest of the building, this room was painted a bright white that was very well lit. It gave the room an overall cheery contrast despite the fact that Naruto's sensei lay in bad shape in the next room.

"What happened," asked TenTen. She was looking down at the ground while she spoke, shaking her head in disbelief. "I just don't get it. I mean Gai-sensei never gets sick, and I've seen him take more punishment then anyone I've ever met. What could possibly do that to him?" Her voice was rising now as she balled her fists in anger. Tears were beginning to stream down her face as well. Naruto desperately wanted to answer her question, but he was just as shocked as the rest of them. To him, Gai had always represented a kind of pillar of strength. He was an oddball for sure, but he was always there when you needed him. He was always ready to help, to make sure you achieved your best.

Naruto stared down at his hands, idly flicking his fingers. 'Gai-sensei always seemed invincible,' thought Naruto, 'like nothing could break him. What could do that to him? And how did-' Naruto's head suddenly shot up as he remembered the familiar sensation back at the cafeteria. 'No,' he thought, 'he wasn't anywhere near Gai. How could he have gotten to him. I just don't…' He was tired, after everything that had happened today, his body needed rest, and the couch felt so comfortable. 'No,' he thought, 'I can't sleep. Not while Gai-sensei is in there. I can't sleep. Can't fall asleep…can't fall asleep…can't…

Naruto ran faster and faster through the Leaf forest. He jumped from branch to branch, sending leaves sprawling to the ground as he bounded through, hitting every branch with a loud thud as his foot connected with it. He jumped faster and faster. The air smelled so sweet here, and he could hear the rushing water of a river nearby. Ahead of him, he heard loud laughter and splashing in the river. Naruto jumped faster through the trees, sailing through the air as he allowed the warm air to caress his face, relaxing every muscle and nerve in his body. He let his body freefall through the air, watching the ground come up to meet him. He flipped his body elegantly and landed softly on his feet. He looked down at his body to realize he was only wearing a bear of swimming trunks. He smiled to himself as he rushed towards the sound of laughter, a feeling of warmth and comfort washing over every cell of his body.

He emerged from the forest to see an amazing sight before him. The sky was ridiculously blue, with the sun shining brightly overhead to cast warm rays down on top of him. Naruto closed his eyes and embraced the sensation, letting the symphony of the birds, the wind, and the water clear his mind of every care and worry he had.

"Naruto," came a familiar voice from in front of him. Naruto opened his eyes slowly to see TenTen frolicking in the river, waving him over. Sakura and Hinata were there as well, having a splash fight amongst the rivers sparkling blue stream. "Get over here Naruto," said TenTen again. Naruto smiled to himself and began to jog over. He looked over to his right to see Lee and Gai doing some kind of weird training exercise. Naruto watched as Lee successfully stood on the water without any help. Gai pumped his fist triumphantly into the air, shouting something indistinguishable as Lee waved at Naruto. Naruto waved back, happy to see his friend accomplish something so spectacular for him.

Naruto turned his attention back towards the river where the girls were still waving him over. Naruto kept up his jog towards it until something caught his eyes to the left. He looked over slightly to see Kakashi reading one of his perverted novels while sunbathing on a large rock. Naruto waved over at him too as Kakashi gave him a lazy nod before returning back to his book. Naruto kept his eyes forward, running straight towards the girls who were still frolicking in the beautiful water.

Suddenly, something else came into view as Naruto turned his head to the left. Sasuke was standing there, smiling at Naruto through warm eyes. "Better hurry up Naruto," he said, "they're waiting for you." He shot Naruto a wry grin as Naruto laughed loudly at his friend.

Naruto continued to jog forward towards the river. He could almost feel the cooling jets of the river on his body. He was inches from it now as he closed his eyes for a moment, readying to jump into the river to embrace its refreshing streams and waves.

Naruto felt something grab at his ankle and pull down hard. Naruto opened his eyes and looked down to see the earth begin to pull in his feet. He struggled hard against the ground, grunting loudly as he tugged fiercely for control of his legs. Suddenly, the ground pulled him down hard, bringing the earth up to his knees. Naruto pulled at his legs with his hands, trying desperately to free himself from his predicament.

"Naruto…"

Naruto looked up again at what had once been a beautiful clear stream to see it had been replaced with a scene of mass carnage. The once crystal clear river was now an opaque, blood red that slowly ebbed and returned like the coming of a tide. Naruto watched as body parts began to wash up along the beach with every ebb. Finally, Sakura's head was thrown up on shore, her face completely mangled and her eyes pulled from their sockets. Naruto's eyes went wide at the sight. "Somebody help," he yelled, the sound of his voice echoing across the landscape. The sky was no longer blue either, but bore the same blood red as the water, cascading crimson light upon everything Naruto looked at. Naruto searched frantically for help of some kind. He looked towards the rock Kakashi had been laying on only to see a large pool of blood, outlined in his frame there, his book the only remaining item. "Gai-sensei," yelled Naruto, looking over to where Lee and Gai were training. Gai was lying on the ground, face-up, blood pouring from his mouth as his lifeless eyes watched the red sky above. Lee was facedown in the water, floating aimlessly amongst the waves.

"No," screamed Naruto, "No, no, no, no, no!" He turned back towards the river only to see a mangled corpse resting upon a pike to greet him. Hinata's body lay disfigured on several pikes, her head twisted around completely as her limbs were rearranged, each attached to her body with a long piece of wood. Blood dripped like rain from the body, staining the earth and adding yet another red item to the mix. Naruto screamed openly as he tore at his legs now, desperately trying to pull them from the earth. He snapped his head to his left to see Sasuke standing there, looking down on him with a snide expression.

"Sasuke," pleaded Naruto, "help me please! Help me!" Sasuke merely shook his head, and walked off into the forest, disappearing into a red fog that had enshrouded the area.

"Naruto…" came a raspy voice next to him. Naruto looked over to see TenTen crawling towards him. She was horribly scarred; countless cuts and abrasion littered her body. Her legs were in an awkward position too, either sprained or broken. She crawled desperately towards Naruto, reaching out for him as she repeated his name through a shattered voice. Naruto reached out desperately to her, pulling violently at his legs now, wanting only to reach her. She was inches from him now, just a little further.

Something began to bubble and brew within the river. The red water began to pile on itself, ebbing and flowing into a shape that emerged from it. The shape was completely covered in red as the liquid flowed over it like a second skin. It took a single step onto the land, staining everything it touched into a blood red. It began to assume a human shape as legs formed, then arms, then a torso around that, and finally a round head. It walked slowly towards Naruto, the blood water dripping off of it slowly, revealing more of its shape. Naruto looked back towards TenTen. He could almost touch her now, their fingers were so close to each other. "Just a little further," said Naruto desperately, "C'mon, just a little further."

The blood water man grabbed at TenTen's ankle, forming a tight grip around her leg and pulling her violently from Naruto's grasp. "NO!" screamed Naruto who was now tugging at his legs so hard the skin was beginning to break and bleed around his knees. Naruto watched helplessly as the blood man began to take more of a shape, eyes forming in his head. They were the same shade of red, with a black, crisscrossing pattern in the middle of them. A mouth began to form as well. The blood water dripped off row after row of jagged, razor sharp teeth that pulled back into a wicked grin. The blood man held TenTen inches from Naruto's grasp, hoisting her in the air by one ankle. Naruto tore at the air for her only for the blood man to laugh and pull her back from his grasp. Suddenly, four small slivers of water shot out from the blood man and wrapped themselves around TenTen's arms and legs, spreading her out wide over him. "LET GO OF HER!" roared Naruto. He pulled harder and harder at his legs until finally his knees gave way, and he ripped them out from his shins. Naruto crawled towards the blood man, clawing at the sand and tearing at him in a blind fury. The blood man turned to face him, the water revealing a red, scaly bodysuit underneath. TenTen still hung above him, held motionless over his head. The mouth of the blood man opened wide, allowing a long trail of blood to flow out and hit the ground. Slowly, this long trail formed into a sickly long tongue that lolled out of his smiling mouth. The tongue moved back and forth across the ground before suddenly springing up and wrapping around TenTen's torso. The blood man laughed loudly before all of the tentacles gave a final, hard tug, ripping TenTen's body to pieces as a rain of blood poured down on both of them.

"YOU BASTARD!" screamed Naruto as he pulled himself violently across the sand. "I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!" The blood man began to laugh maliciously, an echoing cackle that pierced into Naruto's brain. Suddenly, the blood man reached down and plucked Naruto off the ground. He held his arms against his sides as Naruto struggled against his grasp. Suddenly, the tentacles sprung out again and wrapped around him. The blood man laughed louder, as layers of the water began to reveal his face. Naruto looked up to see Set staring back at him, laughing hysterically at the entire ordeal. Suddenly, Set brought him them close, almost nose to nose. Naruto lunged forward, ready to bite, tear, and claw Set into oblivion.

"Rage," said Set softly. "Rage, Rage, Rage, Rage, Rage, Rage, Rage, Rage!" Set was roaring the word now, the sound echoing off Naruto's eardrums like a hurricane. Set moved him closer to his face now, still repeating the word louder and louder. Suddenly, he brought his hand up and began to tear at the skin of his face. Piece by piece another face was revealed beneath him. Naruto stared in horror as more skin was torn off. Finally, Naruto found himself staring into a completely different face, still bearing the same red, patterned eyes and sickly jagged grin. His own face was laughing maliciously at him, repeating the same word over and over again…

"AHH!" screamed Naruto, opening his eyes wide. He was panting heavily and was drenched in a cold sweat. He looked around quickly, realizing that he was still in the infirmary. Lee was still waiting in front of the infirmary door, still staring at the red light that hung overhead. He gave a sigh of relief and looked to his left. TenTen was asleep as well, resting her head on Naruto's shoulder. "What the hell was that," he said aloud. He rubbed his eyes awake and stared at the light along with Lee. 'How long have I been asleep,' he thought, 'Is Gai going to alright?'

A loud ping filled the room, and Naruto looked up as the red light finally turned off. He nudged TenTen who slowly came awake as well. Naruto sat up and took a spot beside Lee, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I'm sure he's fine," said Naruto, "he's the Amazing Azure Beast. Nothing can stop him." Lee gave Naruto a weak grin, but Naruto doubted that comforted Lee at all. TenTen took her place on Lee's other side as the trio waited for any news about their sensei. Finally, the double doors opened and the head doctor stepped out.

"He's going to be fine," said the doctor, allowing a collective sigh of relief from all three of them. "He's pretty tough. Anyone else would have died, but he seemed to pull through without too much trouble. He'll have to stay overnight for observation, but he'll be alright."

"What was wrong with him," asked Lee. The doctor made his way to behind the receptionist desk and sat down, giving a tired sigh before answering.

"Poison," said the doctor nonchalantly, "to be honest I'm not that surprised. You Leaf aren't exactly the most 'popular' people around here." All three of them shot the doctor a very angry glare that caused him to recoil backwards. "Not that that justifies it," said the doctor quickly, "it's just the most probable case. Hell, maybe even a Sound nin of some sort. The strange thing is though, this poison is particularly potent. I've only seen Cloud ANBU carry it for use. Do you know if he's made enemies with anyone lately, or if there's someone in particular who might want to kill your sensei? Or know of anyone who might have access to something of this caliber?"

"That's how he did it," thought Naruto, his brain putting the pieces together quickly.

"That's how who did what?" shot out Lee. Naruto looked straight at Lee, a perplexed expression on his face.

'Did I say that out loud,' thought Naruto. "Some Sound or Cloud nin probably," said Naruto, backtracking on his own words quickly, "He may have put something in the soup we were eating." Naruto did not want to mention the possibility of Set. If they knew about Set, they wouldn't let him out of their sight from then on, and he needed his space if he was going to confront Sasuke. Lee was looking at him with a very hard, accusing expression.

"Do you know something Naruto," asked Lee, his tone matching the look on his face.

"If it was in the soup," interrupted TenTen, "why didn't the rest of us get sick? It must just have been in one of the bowls Naruto brought. Maybe Naruto was the intended target." Naruto recoiled in shock. He hadn't thought about that, nor could he think of any reason for Set to poison him. "Maybe it was, Sasuke," said TenTen.

"No," snapped Naruto quickly, "it wasn't Sasuke."

"Let's not throw that theory out quite yet Naruto," chimed in Lee, "what did you two talk about when we left you alone?" Naruto had no intention of telling them about Sasuke's challenge to him, and he was beginning to get aggravated that they would not drop the topic.

"Nothing that concerns you," said Naruto in a short tone.

"It concerns us as far as Gai-sensei is concerned," snapped Lee back, "what did you two talk about?"

"It's none of your damn business Lee," growled Naruto back. His temper, so close to the surface nowadays, was rising again.

"I'm making it my business," Lee growled back, "our sensei is hurt, and I think you're hiding something."

"I'm not hiding ANYTHING!"

"I don't believe you! What did you two talk about?"

"Just drop it!"

Naruto and Lee met eye to eye, each staring the other down. Lee's thickbrows were arched in a long frown, giving him a very malicious look. The air was very tense between them, and both seemed to wait for the other to make their respective move. Naruto had never seen Lee this hostile before, but he refused to allow them to interfere in his problem. They moved closer to each other until their faces were a few inches apart. Anger was beginning to well up inside of Naruto again, his heart beating faster and faster with each passing second. Naruto was almost expecting a fight, and he was not about to back down. Lee seemed to expect the same thing, tensing the muscles in his legs as if readying himself to dive at Naruto. Naruto and Lee stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity until Lee spoke again.

"I'll ask you one last time Naruto," said Lee through clenched teeth, "what are you hiding from us? I know you're hiding something, and if you don't talk, I won't hesitate to beat the information out of you!" Naruto did not answer, but moved his face closer to Lee, staring bullets into his dark eyes. He could hear Lee's breathing now; it was heavy, and sounded very forced.

"Both of you back off!" shouted TenTen. She forced herself into the middle and separated them with one arm each. "This isn't helping anything!"

"Ahem," said the doctor, "As interesting as watching your team crumble in on itself is, your sensei is awake if you want to visit him." Lee's eyes moved towards the doubled doors. He walked quickly towards them, giving Naruto a quick, glaring look before moving into the room.

"Geez, what is with you two," sighed TenTen.

"This wouldn't happen if he didn't stick his nose in other people's business all the time," said Naruto indignantly. TenTen stared at him in disbelief, a look of shock stuck on her face. Her arm suddenly shot out and grabbed Naruto hard by the wrist, dragging him out of the room. Naruto struggled against her grip, but she pulled him out hard into the dark hallway, closing the infirmary door behind her. Naruto opened his mouth to speak but received a sharp slap to the face before he could say anything. Naruto looked at TenTen dumbfounded, his mouth left gaping open as he rubbed at the stinging pain in his cheek. "What the hell was that for," shouted Naruto.

"What is with you," shouted TenTen so loud that Naruto recoiled against the wall. TenTen moved closer to him until there was only inches apart from them. "Ever since the beginning of the exam you've been pushing us farther and farther away from you, especially now after your little chat with Sasuke. I don't know what went on between you two, and I probably can't understand everything that's happened. But what I do understand is that Gai-sensei almost died today, and you're wondering why Lee wants to know every little thing that concerns you?" TenTen stopped for a moment, taking deep breaths to calm her down. "Look Naruto," she said, her tone a very forced calm, "I know that this is something you want to do yourself, but that doesn't mean you should drive us away. We're your friends!"

"Then why do you keep giving me such a hard time," yelled Naruto back. He could feel his anger bursting forth from the surface easier and easier every time he did it. It was so easy to let go, to allow his emotions to overcome him completely. However, TenTen did not respond in kind; she stayed fairly stoic, looking down at Naruto through deep brown eyes.

"Because we care Naruto," TenTen said, "because we want to help. Some things you can't just do on your own. You have to trust us enough to let us help you. We're not trying to anger you; we just want to help you out."

"I don't need help," growled Naruto, "I can handle this on my own. If you want to talk about trust then you have to trust me enough to let me do this by myself. This is my problem, and I'll deal with it. I just…" He forced his anger down deep again; he was tired of easy it had become to let go, how good it felt. "I just need to finish this alone," he said softly, "I know you want to help, but this is just something I need to do alone. I'm sorry." He slowly walked away from TenTen down the hallway. TenTen did not follow him, but watched as he walked away into the darkness. Halfway down, Naruto stopped and turned slightly. Tears were welling up in his eyes, though he was trying hard to hide them, draping his arm over his face. "Please…please don't hate me," he said before moving into the darkness and out of TenTen's sight.

Gai groaned painfully as he slowly got to his feet from the bed. The poison had done a number on his intestines, and he felt like he had eaten about a thousand pins and needles. Every part of his insides felt pierced and shredded, but he refused to stay bedridden. He walked gingerly on his feet, bending his back in all directions to try and stretch out his body.

"Are you alright Gai-sensei," asked Lee, "perhaps you should not be moving about so much." Gai smiled warmly at his pupil but did not heed his word. Lee had come in crying before and refused to detach himself from Gai's neck until Gai told Lee he was suffocating him.

Gai laughed loudly at Lee's comment. "It would take more than poison to keep the Great Azure Beast Maito Gai bedridden," he shouted, feeling his insides tense and churn with every word he spoke. "Still, you are wasting time worrying about me. You should be readying yourself for the test tomorrow. Even Azure Beasts such as us need plenty of rest." Lee saluted his sensei, but halfheartedly so. There was still worry and doubt in Lee's eyes, and Gai hated seeing his students in any kind of despair. "If all of my students became Chuunin, I think that would help with my recovery the fastest," shouted Gai excitedly. Lee looked up at Gai with wide, hopeful eyes.

"Alright then Gai-sensei," exclaimed Lee, "I will become a Chuunin and grant you a speedy recovery! It is my obligation as an Azure Beast!" Gai saluted Lee back just as TenTen entered slowly into the room.

"Ah, another of my pupils no doubt to check on their sensei's condition," yelled Gai, "as you can see, your sensei is perfectly alright. The Azure Beast lives again!" Gai looked past the double doors for any sign of Naruto, wondering where his third pupil was at. "Is Naruto behind you TenTen, or did he return to get ready for the Chuunin examinations?" TenTen looked up at Gai, but then looked away quickly, reluctant to meet his eyes. Gai rubbed his chin thoughtfully, slowly getting a grasp of the situation. He looked over at Lee, who's eyes turned dark and angry at the mention of Naruto's name. "I believe I understand the situation," said Gai, "Students, gather round your sensei for he has most important information to partake with you."

Lee and TenTen gathered around Gai, who pulled out a chair to sit down on. His body was beginning to feel the aftereffects of the poison again, and he did not want his students to worry. "Something happened between you all and Naruto correct," said Gai calmly. Lee turned his head away, but TenTen nodded in agreement, finally meeting eye to eye with Gai.

"He knows something he's not telling us," said Lee angrily, "and I don't know why he won't just tell us."

"That boy is quite different from the rest of you," said Gai warmly, "I know that he may appear hostile at times, but he is in desperate need of friends. Now more than ever. I know that is no justification for his actions, but as I am now, I ask both of you, stay close to him. Remember, you are most glorious comrades and friends; you must share your burdens, weaknesses, and strengths so that you may grow and thrive as a team. No matter what happens, you must protect those precious to you, not only from your enemies, but also from their own actions at times. That is the way of your sensei, the way of the Leaf, and the way of the ninja."

Gai took in a quick breath, trying to stifle a fit of coughing that his stomach was feeling. He could not stand feeling weak, or being far from his students, but things did not always work out the way he wanted them. Lee and TenTen nodded in agreement, Lee's face actually showing a degree of shame for his actions. "Now," said Gai, adding energy back into his voice, "I suggest you all get some sleep and prepare for the examination tomorrow. If you truly wish to succeed as nin, then you must continue forward." TenTen and Lee said nothing, but smiled warmly at him, bowing their heads slightly. Gai nodded back at them and motioned for them to leave. TenTen exited the doors first and practically had to drag Lee along with her. When they were both gone, Gai's face became grave, contemplating recent events.

'This whole ordeal was calculated,' thought Gai, 'I was their target, but for what purpose? I know I could feel a strange presence in the cafeteria, if only for a moment. What are they after? Is it…Naruto? I need to contact Kakashi somehow and tell him of the situation. Be safe my students, things are moving quickly beyond my control.'

"We should probably find him," said Lee as he and TenTen exited the infirmary, "we should stick together as a group for tomorrow's exam, despite what it is."

"Yeah," agreed TenTen, "I'll search the outside see if he's gone there. You should probably search the floor."

"I don't know if it's a good idea for us to split up. We should stick together."

"I can handle myself Lee. I'll meet you back at our room in an hour okay."

"…One hour?"

"Just an hour. Whether I've found him or not I promise I'll be back there." Lee rubbed his neck nervously, but finally nodded in agreement.

"One hour and no longer," said Lee, "Much can happen in an hour."

"I'll be alright Lee," said TenTen encouragingly, "don't worry. I won't eat any soup." She laughed mirthlessly at her own joke, but Lee still kept a stoic face. This situation was very serious, but they would cover more ground if they split up. Lee reluctantly walked down the opposite side of the hall, looking back over his shoulder the entire time.

'Alright,' thought TenTen, 'I'd better get to the bottom floor quick.' She looked down the hall towards the stairwell at the end. She jogged towards it, adjusting her eyes to the darkness that had spread over nearly the entire hall with only flickering lights overhead to guide her. She opened the door to the stairs and began to climb down them. Suddenly, she felt a jolt hit her entire nervous system, like her brain was sending waves of panic through her body. It almost felt like an icy hand had dug into her spine and was dragging its fingers up and down her back. She looked around her, but saw nothing. Only shadows dancing in the flickering lights. She quickened her pace down the steps, making sure to check behind her every few floors. She could still feel an icy grip around her spine, but she began to ignore it now, concentrating on her task. Every step sounded louder and louder down the stairs echoing off the long stairwell until it sounded like there were two identical steps for every one TenTen took.

TenTen's heart was beating very fast now. She had a constant feeling of foreboding over her that had rapt her and refused to let go. The feeling was growing stronger too, like a force was pressuring her entire body. "Who's there," she finally yelled behind her. But only her own echo responded to her. Fear was shooting through her system quickly with every beat of her heart. She climbed down the stairs faster, desperate to find Naruto as quickly as possible. "Maybe Lee was right," she thought to herself, "what if something is following me. What if-" She suddenly stopped and gave her own head a small whack. 'Get a hold of yourself TenTen,' she thought, 'you can handle yourself. You'll be fine.' The feeling stuck with her, but she ignored it for the rest of the way down.

She finally touched down on the last step and came out the side of the building back into a blistering cold. The moon shone brightly overhead, cascading a false light upon the snow that reflected it quite well. There was a cold wind in the air that came and went sporadically, kicking up patches of snow with every blow. "Naruto," she yelled quickly. She rounded across the building, looking for any tracks or signs of Naruto in the area. Another blast of cold wind hit her. She looked back towards the building, wondering if she should head back inside and help Lee with his search. She wondered if Naruto had gone looking for their room in one of the other towers. 'It'll take forever to look for him there though,' she thought to herself. She made one complete trip around the tower without any sign of Naruto.

'I guess I better head back inside,' she thought, 'there's nothing out here.' She looked back at the tower towards the door she had come out of. There was something moving there at the base within the shadows of the tower. "Naruto," she said loudly. She walked closer towards it, the feeling around her spine growing stronger. She suddenly stopped as the shadow began to take form. It was quite tall, and looked down on her from a ways up. TenTen backed up a few steps to get some distance between her and the shape. Suddenly, two red eyes appeared on its face, glowing eerily in the darkness. They seemed to light up his entire face, acting as miniature lights themselves. They radiated a crimson pattern on the ground with two black lines crossing it.

"Who are you," asked TenTen, reaching quickly for her kunai. The figure smiled back at her, his lips curling slowly to reveal jagged teeth in a sickly grin. A long tongue lolled out of his mouth and wet his lips in a slow circle. TenTen couldn't understand why she was feeling so frightened, but the 'thing' before her looked completely inhuman. Her body began shaking uncontrollably as she felt her body pressured under an unseen force. Her heart raced faster than it had ever before as it beat wildly in her chest. The thing took a step forward closer to her, its weight crunching the snow loudly underneath. It took another as TenTen took one step back in response. Slowly, the thing began walking towards her, a deranged chuckling emanating from the creature. TenTen stared at the creature hard, deciding her next course of action as she backed slowly away from it, her entire body shaking as if enveloped by a frigid cold.

Suddenly, TenTen's instincts kicked in and her body forced her legs to push off the snow forward, closing the distance between herself and the creature. She held out the kunai in front of her, closing her eyes as she felt the kunai connect with flesh and drive itself inward, stopping only when a hand grabbed her by the wrist. She opened her eyes and looked up at the horrid lights staring back at her. She stared at the creature's face for a second, realizing that she had this thing before. "You're," she said, her speech stuttered, "you're that nin from before. The one on the mountain." The red nin did not respond, but held her wrist firmly in his own hand. TenTen tried to pull her kunai out of his stomach, but he would not allow her. Small droplets of blood began fall from the edge of the kunai to stain the snow below them in splotches. "Let go," she said quickly, pulling with her entire body against the nin's grip.

The red nins eyes grew suddenly wide, and the sickly grin came ear to ear on his face, showing more of his fang-like teeth. TenTen felt pressure slowly begin to build in her wrist from the nin's fingers. She pulled harder, desperately against his grip, but he would not relent. TenTen grimaced as the nin placed an awesome amount of force on her hand, twisting it violently and snapping her arm like a twig. TenTen pulled back hard, biting her lip hard to keep from screaming as the sudden jolt of pain sent her senses reeling. TenTen looked back to see the nin calmly pull the kunai from his body, his face contorting in a weird expression of ecstasy as he took his time slowly pulling the kunai from his stomach. He took the kunai to his lips and ran his long tongue over it, licking the blood from it slowly.

TenTen backpeddled away quickly from the nin until she turned around in a full sprint away from him. She ran desperately towards the nearest tower, but in a single instant, the red nin grabbed her by the leg and flung her to the ground. TenTen reached her good arm over towards her belt to grab at anything she could use as a weapon, but the nin had pinned her already flipped her over on her back, pinning her to the ground with his own body. TenTen struggled desperately against him now, scratching, biting as a horrible feeling of helplessness overwhelmed her. She looked up at the nin on top of her. He was flicking the kunai he had pulled from his stomach idly on one finger, his eyes going over every inch of her body.

"Working here would not be wise," said the nin, his tone very excited and calculating, "I'll call this work: The Message." He brought one had up quickly and hit TenTen squarely across side of the neck, bringing darkness all around her.

I'm going to try real hard from now on to update this fic regularly. Its been difficult to find time due to, let's just say many unforeseen factors. I won't bore you with details, but let's just say I've been busy. Nevertheless, I will always be working on this fic in some capacity, count on that. Thanks to all who reviewed and still stuck with the fic despite my absenses from updating it. Thanks A Million!


	30. Part 48: Comrades in Arms

Part 4.8: Comrades in Arms

"What the hell happened to you," asked Kakashi nonchalantly, "you get into a fight with a real Azure Beast?" Gai shot him a dirty look but didn't respond as he was concentrating hard on merely standing up. Kakashi had gotten Gai's message half an hour ago and was completely dumbfounded to find him in the Hidden Cloud infirmary. Although Kakashi had to admit, this was the cheeriest place he had been to since setting foot in the village. Odd since it was an infirmary. Kakashi hated how drab this place was; everything was too black, too dark, and far too cloudy even if that was the place's namesake. Kakashi's eye moved towards the window. The sky was horribly black, but the moon shone out surprisingly well tonight, as did the stars. It was a welcome change to the constant storm that usually hung overhead. The glass was heavily fogged, and Kakashi knew the outside was still bitterly cold despite the comforting warmth of the room he was in now. Kakashi stared lazily at Gai as he went through an odd stretching routine, moving from odd pose to odd pose as Kakashi watched on.

"I did not mean to be in this kind of state," said Gai grunting loudly as he pulled his leg straight over his head quickly, "and it was by no accident that I am in this condition." Gai placed his leg down quickly onto the ground, testing out its firmness. Suddenly, his eyes went very wide, and he clutched hard at his stomach as he tried very hard to cover the retching sounds coming from his throat. He quickly swallowed whatever had been in his mouth and took in a slow breath. "According to the doctor," said Gai haggardly, "I was poisoned."

"Poisoned," repeated Kakashi in confusion, "by whom?"

"I wish I knew," growled Gai, "the item was intended to destroy me, but being as I am an amazing Azure Beast, I survived of course. The Hidden Sound have every reason to attack us, and the Hidden Cloud are not fond of us either. Still I did not think they would take it this far. I am sure I was the intended target of an attack of some sort. Something else too," said Gai, his voice turning very grave, "I should have been more cautious. I felt something in the area. It was the same feeling I got whenever those two Hidden Cloud nins were close by, the ones from the hotel incident."

Kakashi's eyes darted away from Gai for a moment as he was trying to place together the feeling himself. Things didn't add up here. 'Why would one of those nins poison Gai,' thought Kakashi, 'Were they under the Raikage's orders? Was this a scheme of his? Is he collaborating with the Sound? Maybe. There's something else I'm missing here. But what?'

All of a sudden, Gai roared loudly and slammed his fists into the bed, shattering it in two. Kakashi took a step back in alarm as Gai breathed harshly like a wounded animal. "I can't believe I could be so stupid!" he roared, "How could I have not seen it from the beginning!" Gai's tantrum was quickly followed by a loud groan as he collapsed to his knees, blood trickling out of his mouth slowly. Kakashi moved to help him but Gai put a hand out to stop him. The blood hit the floor with a loud splatter, but Gai managed to pull himself back into the remains of his bed, draining a vile of viscous, pink liquid on the stand beside it.

"Calm down Gai," said Kakashi indifferently, "you're in no shape to-"

"The nin in red," interrupted Gai, "you remember what Tsunade said when we first came to this country?" Kakashi searched his mind for what Gai was talking about but found himself drawing a blank. "The hotel," said Gai, "remember?"

A light suddenly went off in Kakashi's mind. It was as if every road in his brain had been connected suddenly as all the pieces quickly fit together. He remembered the fight in the hotel, the entire building smashed into a pile of rubble; Tsunade walking out with Naruto in her arms and stating that Naruto and the nin in red did this. Kakashi stared back at Gai with full awareness in his eyes, nodding at him. Gai nodded back, "It's him," he said gravely, "he was trying to take me out of the picture. Hemust hold some kind of grudge againstNaruto. I can't believe I was so stupid. I should have seen this coming."

"Something in this doesn't make sense," said Kakashi, new questions emerging in his mind, "if this nin was a threat to Naruto, why didn't he tell you about it?"

"I don't know," replied Gai, his voice downtrodden now, "I thought I understood him, connected with him somehow. I had hoped I had gotten him to trust me. I've got to find him!" Gai moved his body quickly out of bed only to collapse to his knees as soon as he stepped on the tile floor. His knees hit the ground hard and he let out a grunt of pain as soon as he connected. He was on hands and knees now, crawling desperately towards the door. Kakashi looked down at him as a look of fierce determination was glued on his face. He had seen that look many times, and it was near impossible to stop Gai when he was in that state. Kakashi sighed and grabbed Gai from behind, pulling him back to his feet.

"You're going to stay here and recuperate," he said, throwing Gai back onto what was left of his bed, "I'll find Naruto and bring him back here."

"I cannot allow that," said Gai defiantly, "I must protect my students. I am the Great Azure Beast Maito Gai, I do not let those precious to me down ever!"

"If you really care about your students you wouldn't worry them by putting yourself in more danger than you can handle," said Kakashi quickly. Gai opened his mouth to respond but quickly quieted down, a look of accepted defeat on his face. "I'll find Naruto," said Kakashi, "you just work on recuperating." Kakashi turned around and headed out the door, not wanting to deliberate the matter with Gai any longer. Kakashi placed his hands on the double doors and pushed them open.

"Kakashi," yelled Gai. Kakashi stopped in his tracks but did not turn around. A dead silence hung between them for an eternity as Gai seemed to struggle with his next words, making sounds for different vowels and consonants. Kakashi walked farther out the door. "Thank you," said Gai finally, his words very forced. Kakashi turned his head back at Gai for a moment. He nodded once and headed outside the door.

Kakashi moved into the now empty waiting room. The doctor pretended to be sound asleep at the receptionist desk, but Kakashi saw the flickering of his eyes easily. Kakashi did not stop his pace and walked into the dark hallway. As soon as he was in the darkness, he sprinted swiftly down the hall, making short the distance between himself and the stairwell. He jumped easily from stair to stair without creating a single noise in the air. He landed on the last step hands first and flipped quickly out the doorway into a hard, cold wind that blew wildly around him. Kakashi closed his single eye slightly as the wind made his eye tear.

"Now if I were Naruto," he thought aloud, "where would I-" something familiar wafted past his nostrils in the wind. Kakashi's senses came to life as he inhaled deeply into the cold air that burned his lungs as it went down his throat. "Blood," he said anxiously. His eye drifted from side to side as he examined shapes in the darkness, reaching out with his feelings for any signs of a struggle. Kakashi inhaled again. The thick, copper smell of blood enveloped the air, making it very rich and pungent. "It's not Naruto's," he said, "but I remember this scent." Kakashi moved low to the ground as the wind glided across his back. His single eye searched for any clue of the origin of the scent. Kakashi ran farther from the tower until a metal plink replaced the heavy crunching of the snow under his feet. Kakashi stopped immediately and picked his foot up from the snow. He reached down into the footprint to pull out a small sliver of tattered metal. It had the Leaf insignia on it, and the band around it looked like it had been hastily torn off. Kakashi brought the band close to his own nose and inhaled. It smelled similar to the blood in the air. Kakashi clutched the headband tightly and stowed it away inside his jacket. "The wind's coming from the north," he said, "whatever's going on; it's coming from that direction."

Kakashi moved his stance low to the ground again and ran towards the mountain range that enveloped Hidden Cloud village. The scent grew stronger with every step he took as the rich scent of blood wafted into his nostrils with every breath he inhaled. Then, as he move steadily towards the mountain, a familiar feeling crawled over him, like someone was gripping his spine with an icy hand. "Hiketsu," said Kakashi, stopping immediately and pulling a kunai from his jacket. He pulled his headband up, revealing his Sharingan to examine the shadows around him better. But Hiketsu was nowhere to be seen. Kakashi looked up at the gigantic canyon that encircled Hidden Cloud. The side was craggy, with many varying juts and chinks in it. It would be easy to climb in any case. Kakashi craned his neck upwards, using his nose and other senses to get a bearing on where the feeling was coming from. He quickly flicked his headband back over the Sharingan and grabbed onto a particularly large crag in the wall, pullinghimself up with ease. He pushed off the mountain's side with his feet and began to run up it. He channeled chakra quickly into his feet and pushed vigorously against the mountain's side. As he moved closer up the side, the feeling grew and shaped itself into something different than he had perceived.. 'This isn't Hiketsu,' thought Kakashi, 'but it's so familiar." Kakashi squinted his eye as the winds whipped around him furiously. He strained his ears to search for any sounds, but the howling wind obscured anything in the darkness that had descended upon him in the shadow of the mountain's edge, keeping him from seeing anything save a few feet in front of him.

The feeling grew stronger around him, but it was different from Hiketsu. The force on his spine pressured him much less less. Though the strange feeling radiated from this one, Hiketsu's made him feel like he was suffocating. Kakashi ignored the sensation and pushed onwards, faster and faster, pushing off with the balls of his feet as he propelled himself in giant strides up the mountain. The clouds in front of him became thinner and thinner until he finally came against a brilliantly black sky. The stars shone out better than he had ever seen, and the moon glowed as if it were a second sun. The wind was far less intense here, barely scattering the snow on the ground in small drifts. Kakashi pushed hard off the mountain, forcing his body high into the air past the final crevice of the mountain. He flipped quickly in midair and landed softly on his feet, crunching the snow slightly beneath him. The top of the mountain was a vast desert of white snow, flat in every direction. The lower layer of cloud that was constantly on the village seemed clear here, covering only distant shapes. Still, whatever gave him the feeling, it was close by.

Kakashisilently stalked forward. He moved without sound as every step put him in a few inches of snow. The wind died completely, leaving a very eerie silence in its place. Kakashi inhaled the air slowly as the scent of blood consumed every sense in his body. His single eye drifted back and forth trying to discern the dancing shadows against the moonlight. A single labored breath crossed past his keen ears, and he whipped his body around quickly in its direction. Something moved slowly in the darkness, a mass that Kakashi could not make out. He crept closer to it. The air stank of blood, and the feeling around his spine felt like the coldest wind was drifting though his skin. The shape began to take form in front of him as he moved closer. Other sounds began to accompany the sickly breathing, slow, wet piercing noises followed by something hitting the ground. Kakashi crept forward faster, sacrificing stealth for speed.

Finally the form took complete shape. Kakashi stared at the broad back of a nin dressed in a red, scaly bodysuit. He stood up straight but appeared bent over something he was cradling in his left arm, his right moving back and forth across it. An eerie red light enveloped the entire scene that seemed to be coming from the nin's face. Suddenly, the nin straightened his back and slowly craned his neck around. Kakashi stared in surprise as a glowing red eye stared back at him. The nin appeared in a trance with his eyes very wide and illuminated his entire face which was contorted in a very thoughtful look. Almost like he was in a world of his own. He glared at Kakashi for a moment before returning to the object in his arms, making a quick stroke with his right across whatever he was holding. Something glittered in his right arm. Kakashi looked closely to see a very small, bloody scalpel held there. Kakashi's eyes darted across the scene just as an arm dangled limply down from in front of the nin, blood slowly streaming down it to drip on the snow from the fingertips. Kakashi's eye went wide as he the scene came into full realization. He charged forward now, determined to stop whatever the nin in red was doing. The nin in red stood straight up and whipped his head back towards Kakashi.

"Do you mind," he said politely, "I'm trying to create." Slowly, a wicked smile crept across his face, revealing a row of pointed teeth that glistened against the red light of his eyes. Kakashi stopped a few meters from the nin, staring hard into that single red eye. "Would you like to see it?" the nin asked curiously, "it's not done yet, but I'm so excited. I just have to show someone!" He retracted the blade from the scalpel and replaced it inside a small belt around his waist. He reached down slowly and grabbed the dangling arm from the wrist. Suddenly, he spun around, holding his work in front of him like some kind of prize, a hand wrapped around each wrist. Kakashi's eyes snapped open wide in utter horror and shock of what he saw came full force.

Kakashi had seen this nin during the Chuunin exam. She was one of Gai's team; he remembered her name was TenTen. What was in front of him however looked like the remains of horrid battle or experiment. Any piece of clothing she had on was torn apart, leaving her basically naked in the open air. Pieces of skin had been meticulously peeled away from her torso in elaborate patterns of bleeding diamonds and swirls. Muscles were ripped in some of those parts revealing bone that contrasted heavily against the blood that dripped from ever part of her body. Her arms and legs had been broken in several places and hung flaccid from her body. Bone jutted out from the skin to form an elaborate line tracing up her body. Her face was relatively untouched save for two long slashes that came down from the eyes resembling two bloody tears that traced down her neck. Her eyes were still wide open in terror and fear as the expression seemed frozen on her face. Even the blood that dripped from her body seemed to follow along some pattern as it came down off of her.

Kakashi had seen the results of torture and interrogation before, but nothing like this. "Well," said the nin expectantly, "what do you think? I am particularly fond of the face. It's rife with symbolism. The legs were tricky to do, but bone is a hard pallet to work with. You should really see the back, that's where the message is. But I wonder if you truly understand what the artist is trying to convey with this piece? You see something like this really conveys the artist's frustrations against the world that treated him so cruelly, and this may be just a desperate cry for attention," he added sarcastically, laughing at his own joke, "Then again, my works always excite the most beautiful and unrestrained emotions in humanity. Fury, fear, hopelessness, depression, anguish, and sometimes, very rarely, love. Now give me an honest opinion, do you like it? Be brutal."

Kakashi said nothing, but an old fury was rising in him again. He had buried it down deep from before, but the same feeling, same situation, everything reminded him of that time. Even the cold grip around his spine could not keep the tremendous fury from exploding from deep within him. Kakashi concentrated hard, keeping his emotions in check and channeling his chakra through his body. "Drop her," said Kakashi. The nin in red stared at Kakashi for a moment, a slight look of intrigue on his face to compliment the malicious smile on his face.

"Interesting," said the nin. He slowly lowered TenTen to the ground. He looked longingly down at her for a moment before running a single finger across her bloody wounds, his finger stained red with blood. He stood straight up and licked the blood from his hand with a sickly long tongue, sheer ecstasy surrounding his face. "Please don't disturb it. I'm not quite done yet." The nin in red snapped his body back straight into the air. He was quite tall, meeting Kakashi eye to eye. The nin in red allowed a long tongue to slide in and out of his mouth, a wicked smile revealing animal-like fangs glistening off the red light of his eyes.

'Sick, twisted, bastard,' thought Kakashi, 'I've got to finish this quick. She may still be alive, and every second counts.' His eyes swayed down at TenTen for a moment, quickly scanning her body for any signs of life, but found none.

"If you're not going to come," cackled the nin, "I WILL!" The nin leaned his body forward blazed across the snow towards Kakashi, kicking up the white powder behind him in a long trail. Kakashi didn't move, nor showed any signs of dodging. He brought his hands quickly up to his chest and began performing rapid seals, his mind clear and focused as he channeled any anger as chakra to his hands.

"Ninpo," spat Kakashi, "Ice Torrent." In an instant, the snow in front of Kakashi piled up on itself and shot forward like a cannon towards the rapidly approaching nin. The nin let out a loud cackle before bending his knees and pushing hard off the ground in a low bound that shot his body at Kakashi nearly as fast as the snow that rushed underneath him. Kakashi stepped back two paces, giving him just enough room to absorb impact and counter effectively. The nin's attack came as soon as he reached Kakashi in the form of a hard kick that cut through the air in a red line. Kakashi raised his forearm to receive the impact and was greeted with a shockingforce from the toe of the nin's boot. Kakashi reeled from the impact for a moment, but only a moment. He then flexed his elbow outward so that the nin's leg continued on towards his armpit. He tucked the nin's shin under his arm, and jerked it violently around in a semicircle before letting go, sprawling the nin across the ground face first, a mouthful of snow to greet his descent towards the earth. The nin did not stay prone long, pushing himself up off the snow with enough force to get him back to his feet.

Kakashi hadn't expected him to stay down and was already preparing another jutsu, his hands forming rapid seals as the nin rushed forward in a demonic fury, roaring loudly as he charged forward. 'Not enough time' thought Kakashi. The nin was moving too fast, and the jutsu was not close to completion. Kakashi abandoned the seals and stuck both hands in a pouch behind his back, pulling out several metallic shurikens. He threw both his arms out in a wide sweeping motion, flicking the glittering stars off his fingers, cutting through the air as they whistled towards the nin. The nin did not stop his furious charge, but merely jerked his arms up in a cross covering his face. The shurikens cut through the red fabric that encased him like nothing and pierced deeply into his skin. The nin let out a loud laugh before jerking his arms violently outward, and sending the shurikens and long lines of blood flying from his arms towards the snow, but the nin's legs continued to pump furiously across the ground towards Kakashi.

Kakashi reached into his vest quickly and plucked a three-pronged kunai from the inside, clutching it tightly in an outstretched hand. He bent near to the ground and pushed off, cutting in low towards the nin that closed ever steadily towards him. The nin drew closer and closer as the two sprinted towards each other, each figure streaking a long line of snow in their wake. Suddenly, as their distances closed, Kakashi casually flicked up the side of his headband revealing the red Sharingan beneath it. Suddenly, all of the nin's movements were revealed, every step, every tense and pull of his muscles and tendons revealed in a single instance. The nin smiled widely and let out a snarl as he contorted his body in an arc and shot towards Kakashi head first. Kakashi took the impact of the nin's body in his torso, grabbing the nin with his left arm. He threw his right arm, holding the kunai tightly, up into the air before driving it full force towards the nin's back. Suddenly, the nin's right arm contorted oddly across his back, intercepting the kunai's blade through the palm of the nin's hand. The blade pierced through the skin in a single, effortless motion, and the nin's fingers clamped reflexively around the blade. Kakashi tried to pull the blade out, but the nin's grip was vice-like across the point, despite the metal cutting through his skin as small rivers of blood trickled from the nin's palm to roll across his back.

"Just when I was beginning to enjoy myself," said the nin in a bored tone. The nin planted his feet hard against the snowy ground and heaved his body upward, hoisting Kakashi onto his shoulders. However, his every movement was revealed in an instant, and Kakashi used the nin's own force against him, slipping from his grip and letting go of the kunai for a moment. The nin grasped for Kakashi's body, but Kakashi flipped across the nin's shoulders to land feet first on the ground. Kakashi quickly shifted his body back toward's the nin's right arm and pulled it violently behind his back in an elbow lock. He ripped the kunai from the palm of the nin's hand, tearing it outward towards the nin's fingers. The nin roared in pain, but Kakashi did not stop there. He ducked down quickly as the nin snapped his entire body towards Kakashi in a wide, swinging punch. Kakashi fell forward, feeling the air ripple above him as he narrowly avoided the tremendous attack. Kakashi rolled onto his back and grabbed the nin's calf, driving the kunai hard against the higher part of the heel of the nin's boot. Kakashi pushed the kunai hard against the material and cut through the nin's tendon, sending the broken muscle convulsing up the nin's calf and collapsing the nin's right leg. Kakashi rolled quickly once again and slid on his vest across the snow, away from the nin. He dug his hands into the snow and flipped to his feet.

"Still having fun,"asked Kakashi lazily. Kakashi watched as the nin collapsed to his knees, his hands pressuring against the steady flow of blood that streamed from his heel like water. "I cut your Achilles tendon," said Kakashi nonchalantly, "you won't be able to move. I don't know how you're so strong, fast, or how you're related to Hiketsu, but you won't be a problem any longer." Kakashi began channeling his chakra, redoing the jutsu he had tried earlier. The snow slowly began to melt and form into a steady stream of water at his feet. The pool grew steadily larger, the cold crisp air turning hot as steam began to issue from ground. 'That should be enough.' "Give my regards to Hell kid, and tell them I'll be sending your master there soon enough. Ninpo, Dragon Tsunami!" The liquid snow shot up high into the air, binding and twisting in glistening lines and streams that danced lively in the sky. The lines coalesced together in a soundless splash, forming a single great line. Slowly, the front of the gigantic line opened up, revealing a maw filled with watery teeth that reflected the white light of the moon. Gigantic, menacing eyes followed, along with scales, and a two long lines protruding from the water creature's upper lip in a watery mustache. Kakashi focused on the nin for a moment. He was struggling to stand, but his leg was slowly beginning to regain its strength, pushing slowly up against the ground. 'How…never mind. NOW!' Kakashi flicked his hand forward, sending the water creature tearing in front of him like a demonic hurricane, forming its own hostile wind that whipped around Kakashi violently. It approached the nin at blinding speed, opening its great maw wide to welcome new prey. The nin's stared at the creature with a curious expression, one of almost intrigue as a smile slowly curled across his lips.

"How beautiful," said the nin sardonically. The creature hit the nin with the force of a hurricane in a cacophony of cracking bone and torrents of splashing water. The creature carried the remains of the nin screaming towards the mountain's edge, driving itself off the cliff and down back towards the solid earth that would wait for him beneath. Kakashi watched the tail of the creature move out of sight as the feeling of the icy wind through his spine quickly subsided.

Kakashi let out a sigh of relief, allowing his body to relax for a moment before he rushed back towards TenTen. Kakashi knelt down and stared at her. The battle had taken longer than expected. Kakashi felt across her neck, searching desperately for a pulse. "Come on," he said, hoping she could hear him, "Come on. Give me a sign. Please. Anything." A small pulse suddenly beat weakly under Kakashi's fingers. "That's it." Kakashi placed a hand near her mouth and nose, feeling warm breath slowly issue from her mouth. 'I've got to get her to a hospital.' Kakashi channeled chakra to his hands again, concentrating hard to keep the flow precise and even. 'How did Rin do this? Keep a constant flow…' Kakashi flowed his chakra steadily into TenTen's chest. Her heart beat was erratic, the blood loss combined with the cold slowing it down considerably. Kakashi forced his own chakra into the nervous system, sending small shocks to pump her heart stronger. 'She needs blood,' thought Kakashi, 'she's lost too much. I've got to get her out of here.' "Just hang on kid," said Kakashi desperately, "I'mgoing toget you out of here. Gaiwould cry night and day if you died. Let's not make him." Kakashi fumbled with the zipper to his vest for a moment before tearing it down and ripping it off his body. He pulled a kunai from a pocket and began to cut off the top half of his body suit. He ripped it off, leaving his front torso bare in the cold. He gently laid the cloth over TenTen and slowly placed her on top of the vest, zipping her up gently within the confines of the vest and shirt. 'I've got to get her out of here now.'

Kakashi could feel the ominous chill of the wind biting at him again, but he paid it no heed. It was always cold here, but there were more important matters to attend to. He placed his arms underneath TenTen's back and legs, getting ready to cradle her towards his chest. The air seemed to bite harder and harder at Kakashi, chilling every cell in his body. "This isn't right," said Kakashi, "something's wrong. This feels like-"

A torrent of blood erupted from Kakashi's right side, sending surges of agonizing pain through him. Kakashi gritted his teeth hard, feeling something pierce all the way through his back to the front of his body. Kakashi forced his eyes open to look down. His body was shrouding whatever had cut into him, but a thin, dark red sliver stood prominently out of the right, front side of his abdomen. Suddenly, the strip cut right, slicing Kakashi's side outward and sending a semi-circle of blood to stain the snow beside him. Kakashi bit his tongue, forcing any scream of pain back down his lungs, swallowing any blood that had begun to travel up his throat. Kakashi placed his hands against the wound, placing as much pressure as possible against the pulsating gash.

"Really now," came a malicious voice that rang through the air ominously behind Kakashi, "you didn't think it would be that easy to kill a god did you?" Kakashi paid no heed to the nin's words and quickly reached for his vest, pulling out a small scroll. He forced his body to his feet, unraveling the thin twine around the scroll with his thumb and forefinger. He turned quickly and met eye to eye with the nin in red. He was soaking wet, his hair sticking to the sides and back of his head as water dripped noiselessly from every part of his body. A loud laugh resounded from the gnashing, sharp teeth of his face, and his eyes seemed to light his entire body in an intense aura, like a fire had been lit inside of him. The pungent smell of charred flesh wafted over to Kakashi as he stared at the nin. The evil sneer had returned to his lips, but something else slowly grew over his body. Pulsating, black lines crawled snakelike over it, steaming and scarring the flesh as they spread across his torso, burning through his bodysuit to leave an odd design on his chest and shoulders. With every passing second, the feeling of icy shards running through Kakashi's veins intensified, leaving him sapped of any strength at all. "It works so quickly now, fifty percent in under a minute," said the nin, chuckling under his breath, "I do hope you realize the honor you're receiving old man. You're the first foreigner in nearly seven-hundred years to witness the fabled Crimson Bloodline of my 'ancestors'. I'd love to show you how…creative I can be with it, but an artists work is never done, and I'm afraid I can't let you live, no matter how talented you may be.

Kakashi did not respond, but kept his focus. His vision was getting blurry, the short time of blood loss along with the chakra pressure of this nin was eating away at him. The pain was immense, but Kakashi kept his focus. 'I need Tsunade,' he thought, 'I need her to be in the infirmary when I arrive. I can't both save TenTen and kill this one.' He unraveled the scroll quickly with one hand, placing his right thumb under the dripping blood of his side. He threw his left arm across his body, letting the force unravel the scroll in a flurry of thrashing paper. He jabbed his bloody thumb against the first seal and drug it across all the rest. He flicked the scroll back into the air, watching it ravel back into itself. He caught it in-between his fingers, forming a small seal around it. "Go find Tsunade," he whispered, "she should be coming up the path now. Take her to where Gai is. You should remember Gai's scent. Go, and don't worry about me. Just find her and bring her to where Gai is." Kakashi let the scroll fall from his hands as he pulled the three-pronged kunai from the ground. He quickly flowed chakra to his free hand and forced it against his bleeding wound, concentrating the chakra enough so that the cut began to burn and sizzle against his hand. The burning pain lasted a moment before a fresh, cauterized scar appeared where the wound had been.

Kakashi brought his hands together quickly, forming familiar seals and channeling chakra to his right hand. "I'm afraid I can't let you get the upper hand again," said the nin mockingly, "you very well may kill me". The nin flicked an outstretched finger towards Kakashi, pointing at something in his direction. Kakashi kept his concentration on the nin when suddenly something wrapped around his right wrist and pulled him to the ground hard. The same, thin dark-red sliver had reappeared and was pullinghim tightlyto the ground. Kakashi struggled hard against it, but the thin line wrapped tighter, digging hard into his flesh. Kakashi pulled with every muscle in his arm, his skin burning against the sharp twine that had entangled it. The wind cut suddenly in front of him and Kakashi snapped his head back towards the nin in red to see him running blindingly fast at him. Kakashi could barely see his movements, the Sharingan's images had become static and blurred. Kakashi raised his free hand to guard his face. The nin's left foot knocked Kakashi's free arm away while he brought his right knee hard into Kakashi's chin with a shattering crack of bone against bone. Kakashi felt his chin fracture under the hit as the impact sent him sailing away. He landed hard on the snow as he struggled to his feet. Suddenly, he felt his arm jerked back towards the nin as the thin, red sliver jerked hard on his arm, sending him sailing back towards the nin in red. Kakashi quickly kicked his own legs forward, using the momentum of the attack to send a hard kick towards the nin in red. The nin in red rose a single arm towards Kakashi and received the impact on his forearm. He bent his elbow outwards and caught Kakashi's leg under his own arm, copying Kakashi's movements earlier.

"Everything a true artist creates," he said wistfully, "no matter how copied it looks, always has his own unique flair to it." The nin clamped his arm around Kakashi's leg and rose his free arm up in a crook, driving a stiff elbow into Kakashi thigh. Kakashi reeled back in pain as a sharp point drove itself deep into his leg muscles, cutting through tendons and vessels as it finally barely scraped against bone. Convulsions of agony shot through his body like lightningas the nin twisted the invisible point around slowly in his leg, eating away at more muscle and amplifying the quakes of pain in his leg ten fold. The nin in red lifted his elbow off of Kakashi's leg. There was no point there, but a substantial chunk had been taken out of elbow on his bodysuit, revealing bare skin. The nin flicked his hand again and the sliver attacked to his wrist threw him violently across the snowy plain, making him land hard on his back, knocking the wind out of him. Kakashi rolled painfully to his knee, checking the damage. The wound was deep, but it missed any major arteries or veins, leaving the bleeding less substantial. Still, the leg muscle was cut and damaged, and he could barely support himself on it.

'I underestimated him,' thought Kakashi, 'I should have finished him off when I had the chance. But I don't have time anymore, I've got to get TenTen out of here.' Kakashi placed his hand against his bleeding leg and channeled an excess of chakra there, burning the outside of the wound and cauterizing it, leaving another light, scar there. 'That's patchwork at best.' He slowly rose to his feet, pushing the pain from his mind and returning his focus to the task at hand.

He whipped his body towards the nin in red. He held TenTen cradled against his chest, his eyes glaring down longingly at her prone state. "Quite a masterpiece isn't she," asked the nin, "One of my best considering the short amount of time I had to work. I do hope 'The Message' is well received to my audience. I certainly would hate to disappoint him with anything but my best. Still, you never did tell me what you thought of her. At least give me an opinion so that the last vestiges of your life will not be totally wasted." Kakashi reached slowly back into his pouch. He had one trick left, but he needed to distract the nin somehow.

"I think you're a sick, twisted bastard personally," asked Kakashi, trying to keep the nin talking, "but who is your audience anyway?" He pulled two, metallic balls from behind him and squeezed them hard in his fist, igniting them. '10 second timer. 'This has to be precise,' thought Kakashi frantically, 'I've only got one shot.'

The nin laughed under his breath. "A special one is my audience. And I will create a piece so stunning he will be rocked to his core."

'6…5…NOW' Kakashi thrust his arm into the air as hard as he could, sending the two balls flying wildly towards the night sky. '3…2…1' Kakashi flicked his headband down across both his eyes and closed them. The sound of the light wind was overshadowed by a tremendous explosion that rocked the ground he stood on as an intense luminescence showered everything like a second sun. Even with his headband around his eyes, Kakashi could still see an orange light pierce through.

Kakashi heard the sound of the nin's voice roar in pain. "AHH," he screamed, "MY EYES!" Kakashi ran towards the sound of the nin's howling. 'About my height, still carrying TenTen. Right about, here!' Kakashi ducked down and drove his leg out in a wide sweep, connecting successfully with the nin's legs and sweeping him to the ground. Kakashi held out his arms and felt a heavy bundle land in them. He quickly flicked up one side of his headband to see TenTen still unconscious in his arms while the nin in red struggled on the ground, clutching desperately at his face, an expression of rage contorted on his visage. Kakashi wasted no time, but sprinted past the nin in red back towards the edge of the cliff. His leg was barely holding up, and the trek back to Hidden Cloud would no doubt take its toll on his body.

He had wasted too much time already. He focused every last bit of energy into his legs and tore across the snowy field. As he came closer to the edge, a small piece of cloth stood out in the reflection of the moon light, glistening an opaque red into Kakashi's eye. Kakashi bent over quickly and scooped up the red cloth, stuffing it hastily inside the tattered remains of his suit. He picked up speed, forcing his legs to move faster as he pushed frantically off the snow back towards the edge of the cliff. He stepped closer towards the edge, not daring to slow down or look back. Finally, he took a single step off the side. Kakashi allowed gravity to pull his body down, making him parallel with the mountain's side. He gripped TenTen close to his body and kicked his legs hard against the mountain's edge, running down it.

'I won't let anyone die,' thought Kakashi, 'just hang on for a little longer.'

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Set struggled to his feet; his eyes burned like they were on fire and a bright whiteness was all he could see. He blinked a few times, trying to readjust his vision. Finally, he channeled chakra to his eyes, rejuvenating and restoring the area within seconds. The white-haired nin and the girl were gone leaving Set alone and slightly frustrated as a cold wind picked up around him. He closed his eyes for a moment concentrating hard and retracting the seal back into its original state, the burns on his flesh healing quickly. "I assumed that bowl-head would be the only interference," he said angrily, "what connections does Naruto have exactly? Ah no matter. One way or another, the message has been sent. Who knows," Set chuckled to himself, "perhaps this piece is better left alive. After all, what's more ironic than having life and praying for death? Still, what was that nin babbling about. My master? Does he mean the Raikage? And who is Hiketsu? Still, that is irrelevant." A wide Cheshire smile grew across Set's face, an excitement washing over him. "He will live to hate me. Every thought of his mind will be consumed with destroying me and eradicating everything associated with me. His fury will burn bright, and as the layers of humanity are slowly peeled away, he will be nothing but a white-hot ball of incandescent rage. What fun. Don't disappoint me Naruto, the play's just beginning, the stage is set, everything is prepared. How amazing this creation will be; the culmination of my life's work, and the beginning of something grand."

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Naruto lay in his bed, his eyes half-closed staring at the world outside his window. The shining, white light of the stars illuminated the patchy, black sky brilliantly for the time of day. The moon stood in the sky at a half-crescent like a second sun, casting a brilliant image upon the ridiculously white ground beneath. Naruto sighed, feeling guilt-ridden and ashamed at his own behavior nearly an hour earlier. He hadn't meant to lash out so rashly against them. He didn't want to drive them away. He just…

Naruto turned his head into the soft pillow beneath his head. After his confrontation with Lee and TenTen he went straight to his room, looking for some kind of solitude with which to sort out the cacophony that was going on in his head. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep, despite the cozy and comfortable mattress on which he lay. His thoughts revolved around Sasuke and the challenge he made that started this whole mess. '2nd day,' thought Naruto, 'if this test takes three days, why the second day? Why not fight as soon as we found each other? I knew…I wanted to fight him. But I never realized it would be on me so soon.' Naruto turned over again and stared at the ceiling. 'Sasuke. I will defeat you this time. There's no turning back now.'

A rap at the door interrupted Naruto's thoughts. Naruto jumped off his bed and walked slowly towards the door. He pulled it open to reveal Lee on the other side. A jolt of guilt shot through Naruto's chest that left a hot feeling across his body. "I thought I might find you here," said Lee casually, like nothing had happened between them before. Lee walked quickly into the room, not even turning his head to look at Naruto. He didn't seem angry, at least he wasn't expressing it in any way. Naruto didn't look up, he just stared at the ground, still ashamed of how he had been so short with Lee. "Gai-sensei's going to be alright too," said Lee slightly cheerier, "they said he'll beback to his most amazing selfin a few days. To be able to revive himself so quickly, he truly is amazing, eh Naruto?" Naruto looked up for a moment to meet Lee's smiling face. His smile shone brightly against the light of the room and his face seemed to be filled with energy again. Naruto nodded, but said nothing. Lee stretched his arms above his head with a loud groan and laid down on the floor, beginning a quick stretching routine.

"Look Lee," said Naruto, his voice very uneasy, "about earlier. I-"

"Don't worry about it Naruto," replied Lee quickly. Naruto's head shot up. He stared at Lee with a look of shock on his face. Only an hour earlier, Lee had been threatening to attack Naruto if he did not answer his questions. Now he was acting like the whole event never occurred. "I guess you had your reasons for not telling us," continued Lee, "and though I may not agree with your logic behind it, I can respect your privacy. Just remember Naruto, we're a team. We're not here to undermine you in any way. We're just here to support each other in all of our endeavors. You should take advantage of that most fortunate fact. After all, we are strong because we have people to protect. If we lose those precious people, what's the point of being strong? That's something else Gai-sensei taught me, and he's been trying to teach you. You really should start writing down what he says. I can let you borrow a spare notepad if you want."

Naruto stared at Lee in disbelief. The guilt he felt earlier washed away as he laughed aloud at Lee's single-mindedness. 'Always about Gai-sensei and hard work,' thought Naruto, letting loose a loud chuckle, 'that's thickbrows for you.' "Thanks Lee," said Naruto, "still, you're right. You guys should know about this." Naruto's tone turned serious again, and Lee stared at him with a very attentive look. 'Lee was kind enough to forgive me,' thought Naruto, 'he deserves to know about Gai-sensei.' "You know that-"

Once again, a loud rapping at the door interrupted Naruto. Naruto tried to begin again but the knocking grew louder still, almost frenzied. Finally, out of frustration, Naruto stamped towards the door and flung it open. A woman dressed in a white gown stood before him, a very apprehensive look on her face. "What," asked Naruto shortly. The woman said nothing at first, her eyes drifting from left to right as she bit nervously at her bottom lip. "Well," said Naruto impatiently, "what is it?"

"Are you…are you Naruto," she asked, the nervousness making her speech shaky and stuttered. Naruto nodded quickly. The woman looked past him into the room. Lee stood up from the floor and came quickly to the door. "And are you Lee?" she asked again.

"You're from the hospital," exclaimed Lee, "Is Gai-sensei alright?" The woman took a step back away from the two of them but nodded at Lee's question. Lee let out a sigh of relief, but a look of horror slowly crept over him. "How much time has passed since we last spoke Naruto," asked Lee frantically.

"An hour maybe," replied Naruto, "Why?" Lee's eyes grew wide with shock. He pushed Naruto out of the doorway and stood face to face with the nurse. "Hey thickbrows," snapped Naruto, "what's the big idea?"

"TenTen," asked Lee, "Is it about TenTen?" The woman would not meet Lee's eyes, but looked away down the hall, a slight grimace on her face. Lee thrust his arms out quickly and grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her closer. "What's wrong with her? Is she okay?" The woman did not answer and still refused to meet Lee's eyes. Naruto sat up and stared at Lee with utter confusion.

"Lee what the hell are you talking about," asked Naruto.

"TenTen said she'd meet me back here in an hour," said Lee, his voice soaked with worry and fear, "She's never late. Never. And she made a passionate promise to return to the room in an hour's time."

"Well maybe she's just a little late," reassured Naruto, "I mean, you can't make assumption-"

"No," said the woman in a whisper. Naruto and Lee both turned to her. "She's…you should just come to the infirmary," she finally sputtered out. Tears slowly fell down her cheeks as she pulled herself from Lee's grasp and ran down the hall. A horrid silence fell between the two of them. Naruto and Lee slowly turned towards each other, the same horrified expression on their faces before they both sprinted full blast down the hall.

-------------------------

Kakashi leaned against the hospital wall, his head drooping towards the floor as he looked at the reflection of the red light against the hospital floor. The room looked far too cheery for his taste, far too white and far too bright. There weren't any windows in the waiting room, and the single red light above the operating doors stood out most against the white backdrop. Red. Kakashi would forever hate that color after today. The bandages wrapped around his leg and waist only reminded him of the recent event. His leg had barely held up as he reached the infirmary, but the medical-nin here seemed to be quite competent in their trade. The muscles were still sore, and the pain refused to subside, but at the very least he could stand again.

Kakashi reached idly inside what was left of his tattered body suit and pulled out the piece of blood red cloth he had pulled from the ground. It was a very odd design. It felt rubbery to the touch, and it clung tightly to his skin, accentuating every movement his hand made. Kakashi ran his thumb against the grain of the segmented, diamond shaped, parts of the odd material. It pricked at his skin, cutting a small slice across his thumb. Kakashi pulled his thumb back as small droplets of blood clung to the material. Kakashi watched intently as the small drops ebbed and bobbed between the segmented joints of the suit only to fall straight to the floor in small splashes. 'Odd material,' thought Kakashi, 'custom made. Blood won't stick to it.' Kakashi looked up towards the ceiling at the brilliant lights that shone overhead. 'He felt so much like Hiketsu. Everything about him. But it wasn't him. Still…' The red light of the hospital turned off with a loud tone, and Kakashi waited for the verdict. The double doors seemed to take forever to open. Finally, the same doctor Kakashi spoke with earlier pushed them aside and strode back out into the waiting room, a very solemn and mournful expression on his face. The doctor sat behind the receptionist's desk as if stunned. His eyes gazed straight ahead, like he was in a trance, and he ran his hands over the whole of his face, rubbing his temples slowly.

"So how is she," asked Kakashi calmly. The doctor did not respond but continued to stare ahead in a blank stare. "I said how is she," said Kakashi more forceful this time. The doctor finally looked up at Kakashi and gave a loud sigh.

"Well," he said in a melancholy tone, "we managed to stop the bleeding. She's in the middle of a transfusion right now as we prepare the necessary jutsus to completely heal her inner organs. The damage to her skin was fairly extensive, but nothing we can't fix. The most of the bones in her legs and arms were completely crushed and reset in a different position, like they were taken apart and put back together mismatched. It'll take time to redo that, but nothing we can't handle. The damage to her circulatory system was massive. I'm surprised we were able to stop the internal bleeding. It's like," the doctor paused for a moment, loosening his collar and wiping the sweat from his brow, "she was cut from the inside out. Veins and arteries with muscle tissue still surrounding them were broken in visible patterns. In fact everything on her was done meticulously in a specific order, like there was a design in mind. I've never seen anything like it in my entire life."

"Will she live," asked Kakashi. The doctor turned away from Kakashi's gaze and stared at the double doors again.

"She's stable if that's what you mean," said the doctor, "but she's in a catatonic state right now. We're hoping she'll snap out of it, but…can't guarantee anything. What kind of monster would have done something like this to a fourteen year old girl?"

"I don't know," replied Kakashi, "but I contacted our Hokage some time ago. She was on her way here with the rest of the delegation from the villages to observe the second exam. I hope she got my message." Kakashi leaned his back against a far wall and looked down at the floor.

"For that girl's sake," said the doctor darkly, "I hope she's skilled."

Kakashi said nothing at first, though he knew the answer to the doctor's question. He looked down at the red cloth in his hand, his thumb still bleeding from the cut received by it. "Doctor," said Kakashi, "have you ever seen anything like this?" Kakashi strode over to the desk and placed the piece of cloth in front of the doctor. The doctor stared at it for a moment and shrugged.

"Nothing I can place," he said, "Where'd you get it?"

"Off our assailant. He was wearing this when I met him." The doctor picked up the strange, red material and ran his finger across it, pulling back quickly when a small cut appeared on his hand. A few droplets from his finger hit the cloth and quickly rolled off to splatter onto the desk. "Blood doesn't stick to it," continued Kakashi, "nothing at all?"

The doctor shook his head and handed the cloth back to Kakashi. "No," said the doctor, pulling out an adhesive strip from the drawer and bending it around his finger, "nothing I've ever seen before. Hey…before I forget…there's something else you should know about the girl." Kakashi leaned closer to the doctor. "We're able to repair all of the damaged muscle, bone, and skin eventually. But there's more to it than that. The damage to her nerve endings was substantial as well, especially her spine. Nerve endings were cut from the inside out there as well. It's…difficult to repair such wounds. I'm…I just…"

"Spit it out," demanded Kakashi as he glared at the doctor. The doctor fidgeted nervously in his seat before standing up and meeting Kakashi eye to eye.

"I don't know how skilled your Hokage is," the doctor continued, "but if she has the same knowledge as us, this girl will be paralyzed from the neck down for the rest of her life." Kakashi's stood in shock for a few moments before his face relaxed. He stared back at the double doors. It was horrifying news, but his horror would be nothing compared to Gai's. He already almost lost one student, he would blame himself for this one.

Kakashi shook his head, his mind going back to his confrontation with the nin in red. 'That sick bastard,' thought Kakashi. "Look," Kakashi said turning back to the doctor, "thanks for telling me the situation, but if you can, try not to tell the bowl-headed nin in there. He's already beating himself up enough. Just don't tell anyone about the paralysis until our Hokage gets a look at her alright?" The doctor nodded solemnly at Kakashi. "Alright. I'm going to see if I can contact Tsunade." Kakashi walked towards the door only for it to almost slam into his face as Naruto and Lee burst through it. The wheezing sound of their lungs and sweat on their heads only added to the intensely frightened looks on their faces.

"TenTen," they both yelled in unison. Naruto rushed towards the double-doors as the doctor slid quickly between them.

"Out of my way," yelled Naruto, trying to push the doctor aside, "I need to see her!"

"She's not awake right now," said the doctor gruffly, his arms struggling to hold Naruto back. "She's got to rest. There's nothing you can help by going in there." Naruto reached out suddenly and pulled hard on the doctor's jacket, bringing him down to Naruto's face.

"Move," growled Naruto through clenched teeth. A look of terror fell on the doctor's face as Kakashi moved forward to remove Naruto from the doctor.

"Naruto," yelled Lee. Naruto snapped his head back at Lee and glared at him, "if the medic states that she is not to be disturbed, it would be most prudent to follow his advice if we care about TenTen's welfare. We must wait." Lee paced over in front of the door and retook his vigil in front of the double door, staring hard at it. Naruto looked over at Lee, and then back to the doctor, relinquishing his grip from the medic's jacket.

"Sorry," said Naruto quickly, "I just-"

"I know how you feel kid," replied the medic, straightening out his jacket. He placed his hand on Naruto's hair and ruffled it reassuringly, "but she's stable for now. She just needs time." The medic looked back up at Kakashi at the last statement. Kakashi nodded slowly at the doctor's words, thankful that he was not spreading the news of TenTen's paralysis. Kakashi watched as Naruto took vigil besides Lee, staring hard at the double doors that their friend lay behind. Kakashi turned on his heel towards the exit when the door opened suddenly again.

Kakashi bowed slightly as Tsunade strode into the room a very exasperated look on her face. "I got your message Kakashi," said Tsunade sharply. Kakashi looked behind her as a dog wearing sunglasses and a small vest trailed in behind her. Kakashi smiled under his mask as he formed a seal, causing the dog to disappear in a small poof of smoke. "What's so urgent Kakashi?"

Kakashi jerked his head towards the double doors but put out an arm to stop Tsunade from moving any farther forward. He leaned in close to her face so that his mouth was right next to her ear. "One of ours was attack by that same nin from before," whispered Kakashi, "from the hotel. If he's Hidden Cloud, then we need-" Tsunade suddenly placed a finger over Kakashi's mask where his lips were. She shook her head slightly and mouthed the words, "not here," as Kakashi heard heavy metallic footsteps coming from the hallway. The heavy thud of boots echoed down the hallway, giving a very ominous approach as the sound grew louder and louder. Finally, a gigantic man strode into the white room. He was cloaked in a long, white, yellow-striped robe with a triangular hat, and he was flanked on either side by two men who bore the symbols of the Hidden Stone and Hidden Mist respectively.

"You should not have departed so quickly Tsunade-san," bellowed a very deep voice from the massive nin, "I worried if the message you received was dire you may have required assistance. You really should have told me what it was." Tsunade bowed deeply to the giant man, though begrudgingly so.

"Your forgiveness Raikage-sama," said Tsunade politely, "I did not mean to be brash." Kakashi's single eye scanned the Raikage quickly, moving up and down the white robe that covered all of him. He was massive to say the least, towering well over everyone else in the room. He bore a long scar on the left side of his face that trailed past his young visage down past the nape of his neck. He looked young respectively for a Kage, probably early thirties at the most. Something about this man seemed oddly familiar to Kakashi, but his memory could not place anything definite. "Ah yes," chimed Tsunade again, "this is one of the Leaf's top Jounins, Hatake Kakashi." Tsunade motioned over to Kakashi who gave a quick bow. The Raikage nodded his head slightly, his eyes now affixed on Kakashi.

"Son of the White Fang of Konoha," said the Raikage, resentment hidden in his voice. He looked down at the tatters that remained of Kakashi's black shirt, "What happened to you?" the Raikage asked. Kakashi had no intention of telling the Raikage what had transpired only an hour before his entrance and did not answer. An awkward silence hung between the two of them until Tsunade thankfully broke it.

"I must be attending to a patient," said Tsunade quickly, "I am sorry for the delay Raiakge-sama." The Raikage nodded at Tsunade's comment, but his eyes were still affixed on Kakashi. His dark eyes moved across Kakashi's face, studying every line and curve there as the pupil of his eyes swayed back and forth. Kakashi diverted his attention back towards Naruto and Lee who were trying hard to sneak in behind Tsunade. Just as she opened the doors, Tsunade turned around and shot them both a hard glare making them recoil backwards. Naruto and Lee plodded towards the couch and sat down. Kakashi returned his attention back towards the Raikage who was still eyeing him. Kakashi was determined to get some answer and he pulled the piece of red cloth from inside his shirt again.

"Raikage-sama," said Kakashi, "would you mind answering a few questions concerning an attack on one of our nin recently?" Kakashi kept his voice cordial and polite as he was treading on very dangerous ground. The Raikage eyed him suspiciously as Kakashi spoke.

"I'm afraid I would," replied the Raikage politely, "I must be showing the representatives from the Hidden Stone and Hidden Mist to their quarters, and I also must be putting the on last touches for the 2nd part of the Chuunin exam tomorrow." Kakashi said nothing, his brain deliberating how hard he could push to get the questions he desperately needed to resolve answered.

"It's alright Raikage-sama," said the representative from the Hidden Stone, "if it's important we can wait." The Hidden Mist representative nodded in agreement. The Raikage smiled cordially, but signs of frustrations appeared subtly on his face, his brow furrowing slightly in anger.

"Very well, Kakashi was it," replied the Raikage, turning back towards Kakashi, "shall we step outside?" Kakashi nodded and followed him out the door.

'I have to careful here,' thought Kakashi, 'he's holding all the cards right now. Our entire clan is under an investigation headed by him, and I doubt he wants to cooperate with the Leaf in any degree. Still, I need answers, and anything I can glean from this would be helpful.'

The Raikage closed the door behind them and leaned against the far wall, crossing his arms impatiently. "What is the problem here exactly," asked the Raikage quickly, "please be brief, I'm very busy."

"Do you recognize this Raikage," asked Kakashi. He reached into the remains of his tattered clothing and pulled out the shred of the nin in red's bodysuit. The Raikage examined the cloth for few moments, his face made of stone as his eyes scanned over the odd, red material.

"The way you asked me that, makes the question seem rhetorical," said the Raikage, his deep voice making every word from his mouth venomous, "should I recognize this?"

"A few days ago one of the Leaf and one of the Cloud were involved in a scuffle that destroyed a hotel," replied Kakashi, "I arrived on the scene late, but I remember the Cloud nin wearing this material."

"As do I," replied the Raikage in an arrogant tone, "this piece of material belongs to one of the Izou clan, specifically Izou Set. Your Hokage and I talked about the matter and the nin was reprimanded. What else needs to be discussed?"

"This same nin attacked one of our own just an hour ago," replied Kakashi darkly, "she suffered severe wounds at the hands of that nin, and I brought her back. I'd like to request a formal charge be brought against the Izou Set for unlawful and unprovoked assault on one of our nins." Kakashi knew he had just crossed the line with that last statement, but he needed to push hard to get a face to face with that nin. Surely then, he could trap the Raikage somehow and bring full charges against him.

The Raikage's expression turned very defiant at Kakashi's words, as Kakashi had expected. "I'd like to see proof of your claims," scoffed the Raikage. Kakashi held out the tattered remains of Set's bodysuit once again. "You could have taken this off him at the hotel. After all, you said yourself that you were there. And a few tattered remains of Set's clothing does not constitute an assault charge, nor does your word."

"I saw him attack our nin. I remember his visage exactly."

"As I said before, the word of Leaf nin carries very little sway in my lands."

"What do you mean exactly?"

"Strange occurrences have been going on in my country since your arrival," began the Raikage, "to begin, a village was slaughtered that just so happened to be on the same route your nin took up here. Also, one of Orochimaru's most prized students was killed by an unknown assailant. The only evidence found was a Leaf forehead protector."

"These events don't prove anything," said Kakashi.

"Neither does your cloth," added the Raikage. He bent his back until he was eye-level with Kakashi. "Your entire clan is under investigation. I suggest you think next time before you plan on accusing any of my nin of misgivings. Show me proof, solid proof, and then maybe I'll consider your request. Keep in mind though nin, I'm here as a mediator, ensuring peace between the Sound and yourself. It is time to throw off the yoke of war, and for once, I should hope the Leaf would not be so violent. Just a thought."

"I'll keep that in mind," replied Kakashi politely, "thank you for your time and understanding Raikage-san." Kakashi walked down the hallway back towards the stairwell, not daring to look behind him as he walked down. 'We're being backed into a corner,' thought Kakashi, 'everything about the way he talked, moved, down to the inflection in his voice reeked of buried hatred. I've got to talk to Tsunade; we need a plan of action. Everything here reeks foul play. Orochimaru, the Raikage, Hiketsu, everything. I've already had too much taken from me already…'

_Kakashi watched as what was left of Tiara danced in the flames in front of him. The rain sizzled and smoked against her fiery dance as her horrid body shook and quaked. Kakashi stared in a transient state, his eyes not daring to blink for a moment as the scene unfolded in front of him. The bodies of his comrades lay strewn and butchered around him; arms, legs, torsos, all sinking into the mud as the rain picked up, forming a torrent around them with thunder echoing all around them. The ground was stained with so much blood it looked red, and Kakashi lay motionless in it as it ebbed up against his frozen body. His eyes were frozen on a single man. A single figure strode forward amidst the rain, his figure never wet, like he was merely passing through this world to the next. His spiked, white hair never moved against the torrent, and his cape billowed only slightly against the howling wind. His face fit well with the death that surrounded them, for he himself looked like a pale corpse, dead for hours. His face was horribly white, almost skeleton like, but dignified in an odd manner. But more than anything, his eyes, his horrible eyes, two pale white globes that merely sat in his head, almost like they weren't a part of the body at all. He walked a single step forward, his foot not splashing against the blood that surrounded them. He walked like a specter, moving forward, but never touching anything. Kakashi felt his entire body covered in an icy shroud that choked him harder with ever step the man took towards him. Kakashi crossed his arms across his body, desperately trying to throw off the cold off his body as he crawled backwards away from the man clad in black. His mind couldn't think. His body couldn't move. It was as if the mere sight of this man paralyzed every nerve, every thought of his body with an ice cold grip that held him vice-like and would not relent. _

"_MOVE KAKASHI!" screamed Obito from behind him, "GET UP!" Obito's words fell on deaf ears as the man in black stepped closer forward towards Kakashi. Kakashi dared not turn away, his gaze affixed onto the black-clad man. Suddenly, he felt a violent tug pulling him backwards as Obito grabbed him under his arms and drug him violently away. Kakashi allowed himself to stand, walking with Obito as he pulled Kakashi away. Yet still, Kakashi did not look away as the man in black came closer. Obito pulled a kunai from his own belt and flicked it towards the man in black. The man in black made one motion with his left arm and flicked the kunai away with a finger coming ever closer to Kakashi and Obito with every step. "C'mon Kakashi, snap out of it," screamed Obito frantically, "I can't hold this guy off without your help. Please Kakashi. DAMMIT, ON YOUR FEET!" But Kakashi did not respond. He gazed off into the eyes of the man in black, his entire body frozen in fear for knowing that his time would be soon. _

_Two wet-ripping sounds pierced through the torrent of rain like a knife as black chains sprung from the man in black's chest, pulling Kakashi violently from Obito's grasp. Obito reached out desperately for Kakashi, but a single chain swatted him away. The chains wrapped around Kakashi's entire body, immobilizing him completely. The chains brought Kakashi closer to the man in black, but he did not struggle. The cold feeling around his body intensified with every inch he came closer to the man; it was so strong now it was physically painful, like thousands of icy shards were piercing through Kakashi's skin. The man in black continued to bring him closer until their faces were a mere inch from each other's. The man seemed to stare straight through him, though his eyes gave no indication of sight at all. The man slowly brought both his arms up towards Kakashi's face. He delicately cupped Kakashi's cheeks in his hands. They were soft, but horribly cold to the touch, like someone was pushing ice against Kakashi's face. The man opened his mouth slowly, words flowing out of it. His words were like music to the ears, cold and melancholy, but nonetheless emphatic. _

"_It was a brilliant struggle," the man in black said softly, "truly brilliant. You struggled against me with all your might, with every fiber of your being. But in the end…a man's strength is worthless. You struggle against it so fervently, so desperate to move upstream against the current. But the river flows on, with you trapped in it. Now your power is gone. Tis a pity. But in admiration for your struggle, I shall tell you destiny's name. I shall tell you the name of the gods. I shall tell you the last name you shall take with you when you leave your mortal coil." The man leaned closer to Kakashi until his mouth was up against Kakashi's ear. "Hiketsu." _

_As the man in black finished his words, Kakashi's body recoiled in agony as what seemed like thousands of tiny needles burrowed their way under his skin. They traveled into his veins and slowly passed into his chest, piercing and shredding what seemed like every part of his body. 'This is it,' thought Kakashi, 'this is where I die.' _

"_KONOHA SENPUU!" screamed a voice from behind Hiketsu. Gai flew through the air behind Hiketsu, readying a massive whirlwind kick straight towards his head. Hiketsu raised a single forearm as Gai's leg connected in a loud crunch of bone against bone. However, Gai continued forward, grabbing Hiketsu's forearm and pulling his body towards Hiketsu's head. His legs connected with Hiketsu's face, driving him backwards. The grip of the chains around Kakashi loosened, and his body dropped to the ground in a heap, hitting the muddy floor hard. Kakashi could feel his senses reeling, his mind barely comprehending his situation. Darkness consumed his eyes slowly, until everything faded away. He felt like he was floating on air, like the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders as his eyes closed slowly, an image of Gai standing defiantly against Hiketsu imprinted on his eyes before the darkness finally overwhelmed him. _

_Kakashi's eyes fluttered awake. He felt the soft earth against his back, conforming to his weigh, but it was little comfort. Every part of Kakashi ached with pain, inside and out. It felt like someone had taken him apart and hastily placed him back together. He flexed the muscles of his body systematically, making sure everything worked. 'Where am I,' he thought. Kakashi turned his body towards the sound of a crackling fire filling hitting his ears. He stared at Obito's back, his face watching the flames dance in the fire as he idly stoked it with a stray stick. Kakashi groaned as he stood straight up, attracting Obito's attention. "Oh thank goodness," said Obito with relief, "you're awake. I thought we'd lost you for a second."_

"_Where are we," groaned Kakashi, "the last thing I remember…" Suddenly, an image of Gai standing down Hiketsu hit him, sending all of his senses on full alert. "GAI," yelled Kakashi, turning in every direction looking for his rival. The area had been cleared out, and the rain had completely stopped, though the branches of trees still dripped with cold water on the ground. They were no longer near the campsite, and the day had slowly grown dark. It was night now, clouds had obscured any light from above, and the fire gleamed brightly in the darkness as a beacon. "Where's Gai," asked Kakashi. Obito's gaze came off of Kakashi and back to the fire, watching the embers burn amidst the wood. "Obito, where's Gai," asked Kakashi again, more forceful this time. _

"_He bought us the time to escape," said Obito solemnly, not daring to look at Kakashi, "he stalled the man in black and stayed behind to fight him. I don't know what became of him." Kakashi was stunned, every muscle in his body frozen from shock._

'_The ANBU, Tiara, and now Gai,' thought Kakashi, 'no. I won't lose anymore.' "We're going back," ordered Kakashi, "we're going to find Gai." _

"_We can't," said Obito, standing up now, "if we go back now, we'd just be dishonoring Gai's sacrifice."_

"_Sacrifice my ass," roared Kakashi, "he's not dead yet. He can't be. I won't lose anymore friends!"_

"_There's nothing we can do," snapped Obito, "we need to get as far away from this place as possible!"_

"_Weren't you the one that said those who don't take care of their friends are less than trash," Kakashi snapped back, "Follow your own damn advice! We're going back!" Kakashi turned back, looking for the tracks back to the campsite. He felt a hard slap on his shoulder along with a violent pull and found himself face to face with Obito._

"_I don't know if you were watching the same fight, frozen as you were," Obito added in a stinging tone, "but we just got slaughtered! This guy is well beyond any level we've ever encountered. And need I remind you that you personally put a hole in his chest, and HE GOT BACK UP! We're not dealing with something we can take! I want to save Gai as much as you, but I will not go on a suicide run with you!" _

"_Then stay here COWARD," roared Kakashi back, slapping Obito's arm off his shoulder, "I won't let Gai die. I'm going back, and I'm going to kill whatever the hell that thing is." Kakashi turned to leave but Obito grabbed him again. Kakashi slapped Obito's hand off his shoulder and turned full around only for Obito to ram a hard right hand into his face, knocking Kakashi on his back. Kakashi rubbed his face for a moment before snapping his body back at Obito, a raging frustration building in him now. However, any anger Kakashi washed out of him at the sight of Obito. His face was contorted in complete rage, and tears streamed down his face. _

"_Why," Obito said between clenched teeth, "why is it always you? I saved your ass back there, but you don't give me any gratitude. I train night and day, everyday, and yet your natural talent always surpasses me. I always tried my hardest on the missions, but you were the one who got all the praise. 'The New White Fang of Konoha' following in his dead father's footsteps to become one of the most powerful ninja of all time, while I was shuffled away to the side. My clan doesn't even respect me because the 'White Fang' gets all the glory. Why do you deserve such praise? Why do you get all the attention? Why…why do the women always notice you, love you?" He shook with fury now, staring down at Kakashi like some abhorred thing. "I loved her…but she didn't look at me as anything besides a friend. All she ever thought about was you. Always Kakashi, never Obito. And slowly, my hate for you built even harder." Kakashi stared dumbfounded at Obito, barely recognizing his usually happy, energetic, and playful friend. Here stood instead a man consumed with utter rage and frustration. _

"_I thought you said you didn't hate me anymore," said Kakashi solemnly. _

"_I don't hate you," groaned Obito, "I hate myself. I already told you I wasn't strong enough to protect Rin. There's more to it than that though. I blamed you for her death for so long, trying to run from the truth of the matter. I just wanted power. I wanted it so badly I'd do anything to get it." Obito looked deep into Kakashi's eyes, removing his own goggles so he could stare directly at Kakashi. "I have to tell you this now Kakashi, because we may not live long enough for me to have another opportunity. They say under special condition…a person from the Uchiha clan can unleash awesome power within themselves. A new Sharingan, the Magenkyou Sharingan. I wanted that power. I wanted to surpass you at any cost. It didn't matter what it took to do so. I just wanted it so badly. But there was a catch. In order to unlock it, I had to kill that which I loved most, my best friend." _

"_What are you talking about Obito," said Kakashi, his tone now very concerned over what his friend was saying, "Well, evidently you didn't succeed, because I'm still here."_

"_No Kakashi," said Obito darkly. He closed his eyes for a moment and slowly opened them again. His Sharingan was activated, but it was different. The tears swirled into each other to form a long string across the pupil that was broad against a blood red. "I did achieve this power…but not through you."_

"_I don't understa-" Suddenly, everything clicked inside Kakashi's mind, as if every connection in his mind bridged over from one area to the other. From the formless shapes of his thoughts, a truth was slowly beginning to form. He gazed at Obito in disbelief. Obito did not look like himself anymore. His eyes were open wide, and his face seemed so dark and evil. _

"_No," whispered Kakashi in disbelief, "no, no, I don't believe that. That's not you. You would never do something like that. Never, I can't believe that!" Kakashi shouted louder, hoping that by saying it all the facts of his mind would disappear and everything would return to normal. _

"_Its true Kakashi," said Obito darkly, "I would do anything to achieve this power. Climb any mountain. Run across any barrier. Kill anyone. Including those I loved most."_

"_That's not true," screamed Kakashi, shaking his head back and forth, "I refuse to believe that. That's not you. You care more about your comrades than anyone! You would never hurt them! We may have our differences, but…you would never…you can't…IT'S NOT TRUE!" _

"_It's true Kakashi," said Obito, "In order to achieve this power, I killed Rin." Kakashi stared wide-eyed at Obito. He always had taken Obito's philosophy to heart, ever since that last time with the Fourth. Always place your friends above the mission. Always place your friends above everything else, even yourself. Kakashi looked down at the ground, clasping his hands around his head. 'This can't be happening,' thought Kakashi, 'none of this can be real. Obito is the kindest person I have ever met. He would never do that. He loved Rin. He couldn't kill her. He just couldn't.' _

_I…what…why…this…WHAT THE HELL?' Kakashi charged at Obito, knocking him to the ground. Kakashi pinned him between his legs and threw a hard left to his face, knocking square against Obito's cheek. He pulled back his left and hit Obito again, and again, and again. But Obito did not struggle, he just stared up at Kakashi through eyes that looked more demonic than human. By the time Kakashi stopped hitting Obito, blood was pouring from his face and lips, dribbling down past his chin. _

"_If this power is so great," said Kakashi, "why didn't you use it before. At least some good would have come of it." _

"_This power comes with a price Kakashi," replied Obito darkly, "for every use, it consumes more than chakra. The Magenkyou devours who you are. It devours your soul itself as fuel, and turns you into something you're not. I only used it once, and I have never felt the same. So you see Kakashi, even when I was willing to sacrifice absolutely everything for power, it still wanted more. More sacrifices for more power until I was sacrificing bits of myself. Such a path to power is a vicious one." Kakashi stared down at Obito, his own eyes tearing. Everything had come at him so fast, it was impossible to comprehend it all. He pulled back his arm to deliver another shot to Obito's face when a loud thump beside him distracted his attention. _

_A shadow moved and swayed in the darkness, coming closer to the fire. It stumbled in its steps, but came closer, groaning loudly as it came. Slowly, Gai revealed himself to Kakashi and Obito. He was barely recognizable, blood covered his entire face, dripping from his nose, mouth, and eyes. His black hair was soaked in blood and dirt, matting it oddly against his head. Cuts, bruises, and still bleeding wounds littered his body as he meandered forward. He gave one last breath of air before collapsing to the ground in front of them, landing face first in a pile of slush. _

"_Gai," yelled Kakashi, forgetting about Obito and running to Gai's side. He turned him over gingerly and propped his head up. "What happened Gai," asked Kakashi fervently, "what happened to you?"_

"_Too…strong," muttered Gai, "Couldn't even…lay a finger on him…wasn't even trying…so powerful. I've never…never." His eyes grew very wide, and he pulled Kakashi closer to him, some strength returning to his face. "You have to run," he croaked, "he'll find you…you have to run…run!" Gai's face suddenly contorted in terror as he looked in the distance towards Obito. Kakashi could feel the icy hands begin to close around him, gripping every part of his body in a vice-like hold. Kakashi slowly turned his head in the direction Gai was staring to see Hiketsu standing before them, almost as if he appeared out of thin air. Obito stood up quickly and backed up against a tree while Kakashi and Gai stared at him in horror. Fear was welling up in Kakashi again, he could feel his senses reeling, his mind caving in, just like before. His eyes drifted over to Obito. His entire body shook horribly as he stared wide-eyed at the man in front of him. Kakashi looked down at Gai, who was still mouthing the word "run."_

_Kakashi stared at both of his friends as a new emotion began to well inside of him. A fury, anger like he had never felt before began to burn. The icy needles were still pricking at his skin, but a horrid ferocity blazed inside of him, setting fire to every emotion. "Not anymore," said Kakashi, "I won't lose anymore. Never again!" Kakashi laid Gai down flat on the ground at stood defiantly before Hiketsu. "I won't let you," Kakashi roared, "I'm going to destroy you! And when you get back up, I'll destroy you again! And again, and again, and again, and I won't stop until you're dead!" Hiketsu slowly swayed his body towards Kakashi. _

"_What passion," said Hiketsu coolly, "Even against an overwhelming might you struggle fervently. Your effort is commendable…but futile." The blaze of rage consumed Kakashi, filling every part of his body with white hot fury. Kakashi pushed all the pain, the suffering, the sorrow this man had caused into his right arm as a massive Chidori crackled to life, lighting up the forest like a second, white hot sun. Kakashi stared straight at Hiketsu, who made little motion against the power Kakashi displayed. Kakashi forced his legs forward, driving the screaming Chidori straight towards Hiketsu, the lightning crackling and burning the air around them. Hiketsu stared with idle curiosity at Kakashi's attack not making the slightest movement to counter. Kakashi continued forward; his arm burned horribly from the detonation of the chakra, but he no longer cared. All Kakashi cared about was the total and utter destruction of this man. _

_Kakashi's hand reached forward, trying to bury itself in Hiketsu's face. Hiketsu's hand blurred past Kakashi's eyes, catching Kakashi's outstretched arm by the crook of his elbow and held him in place, inches from his face. Kakashi pushed with every muscle in his body, fighting against Hiketsu's considerable strength and iron grip on his arm. He could feel the bone begin to crack against his arm as Hiketsu put more pressure there, but he did not withdraw. He didn't care if it took every muscle snapping, bone breaking, every nerve overwhelmed with pain, he would destroy this man. _

"_You see," said Hiketsu nonchalantly, "a man's strength is nothing, despite how impressive it is. Futile in the end." _

"_SHUT-UP!" screamed Kakashi. Suddenly, he thrust his left arm out and concentrated all his remaining chakra there, igniting it immediately into another screaming Chidori. He brought his left arm up incredibly fast towards Hiketsu's head and made contact with it. He drove his left arm across, the Chidori burning and disintegrating bone and flesh as it came through. Kakashi felt the pressure on his right hand lapse, and he brought the still ignited Chidori straight into Hiketsu's remaining head. The two Chidoris screamed in unison as they destroyed everything in their path, scorching blood, flesh, and bone and turning it into a sick smelling smoke that permeated the air. Kakashi jumped back for a moment, the Chidoris still ignited on either of his hands. Hiketsu's head was nothing more than a smoldering crater now as his body swayed and began to collapse towards the ground._

"_NOT YET!" roared Kakashi, charging across the slush quickly again, holding either Chidori out to his sides. He brought his right hand straight into the wavering corpse's chest, cauterizing every internal organ and piece of muscle within Hiketsu's ribcage. He brought his left arm across Hiketsu's shoulder, separating his arm from his body in one quick swing. At the bottom of the swing, Kakashi brought the Chidori across Hiketsu's waist, cutting his body in half and spilling burnt viscera across the ground. Kakashi's mind was consumed in rage, and he continued to cut the corpse to shreds, ripping and tearing at every piece of flesh attached to Hiketsu's body. Blood stained Kakashi's entire body, covering his face in the dark, red liquid, but he didn't care. He brought his Chidoris to the ground now, driving them in rapid succession into the torso of the corpse, grinding and burning all that was left of Hiketsu's body. His skin on his hands visibly burned from the prolonged igniting, but the pain did not even faze Kakashi. His mind set at its task, tearing and clawing at every muscle, every tissue, and every cell of the corpse in front of him. _

_Kakashi didn't know how much time had passed since he started to attack Hiketsu, but finally, when his chakra was depleted and the Chidoris had stopped, all that was left was a pile of blood and entrails. Strips of flesh, organs, and blood littered the landscape, staining the earth a blood red to contrast against the snow and mud on the ground. Kakashi breathed haggardly as he sat on his knees, pounding away at the pieces of Hiketsu with his hands. The skin on his hands was burnt heavily, scarred and scratched in areas from the Chidori's prolonged use. Finally, Kakashi stepped back and surveyed what was left of Hiketsu. He allowed the fatigue his body felt to overwhelm him and he collapsed onto his back, staring up at the night sky. "It's over," Kakashi said aloud, "it has to be. I can't go on. He has to be dead." Kakashi pulled his body up with a groan and sat on his haunches. He looked behind him at Obito who had remained against the tree the entire time. He had a look of sheer horror plastered on his face, but Kakashi wasn't sure if it was from Hiketsu or himself. He turned to Gai. Gai looked unconscious, his eyes closed on his face, but he was breathing, the slow heaving of his chest a sure sign of it. _

_Kakashi could feel fatigue rip at every muscle in his body. His arms no longer supported any weight, and his legs wobbled underneath him. Kakashi stared at the pile that was Hiketsu, the sweat from his forehead stinging at his eyes. Kakashi felt a feeling welling up inside of him, a feeling of peace hitting every muscle in his body as he stared at the steaming pile of viscera. "Finally," he said, "it's done." A spot of blood from the pile dripped onto the ground. Kakashi watched idly as the blood dripped slowly onto the ground, forming a small pool. Slowly, the rest of the pile began to join in, all the parts of Hiketsu dripping with blood onto the ground like the pitter-patter of rain on a roof. The pile slowly became more viscous, liquid like until it formed a gigantic pool of blood beneath it. _

_Kakashi gazed into the blood, watching it spread across the earth. Then, a small bump began to form in the middle of the pool. The blood began collecting around it, more and more, piling up on itself, growing taller by the second. A shape came out of it, the details of a face, hands, legs, and an entire body growing from the pile of blood. The blood began to change from a deep red, to a pink, to a ghostly white as flesh began to form, propped up by bones that formed underneath. Kakashi watched in horror as a naked Hiketsu reformed in front of them, the same sickly pale skin, covering a bony, yet muscular exterior. Hiketsu wiped some of the extra blood off his body with a free hand and placed the palms of his hands to the center of his chest. A dark light swarmed around him as the same black cloak and armor that had covered him earlier reappeared in front of Kakashi. Finally, Hiketsu opened his eyes, revealing the horribly white globes that sat lifelessly in his head. _

_Kakashi looked on in terror, his body and mind both reeling from the anguish he had gone through and the realization of the futility of his struggle. A laugh bubbled up inside his throat, passing quietly through his mouth. Then, he laughed harder, until he was in hysterics. "You don't die," laughed Kakashi, "you just don't die. WHY WON'T YOU DIE?" Hiketsu turned towards him, an oddly solemn look on his bony face. _

"_If only you knew the irony of your words," he spoke in a cool manner. He strode towards Kakashi, every step reverberating like a drum off the ground in Kakashi's mind. Kakashi shook his head hard, removing any fear and doubt from his mind._

"_I can't give up yet," yelled Kakashi defiantly, "there's too many people counting on me. I can't stop yet. I won't lose!" Hiketsu's hand shot out and surrounded Kakashi's entire skull with his long, bony fingers. Kakashi pulled a kunai from his vest and began stabbing furiously at Hiketsu's arms with what strength he had left. _

"_It's finished," whispered Hiketsu, "Eyes of the Death-" The sound of an explosion rocked Kakashi's ears like bomb had gone off right next to him. Hiketsu's hand lost its grip and Kakashi fell with his arm. Kakashi removed Hiketsu's hand from his face and found himself holding the smoldering remains of Hiketsu's arm. A strange, black flame engulfed it, burning the flesh in an odorless black smoke. Kakashi threw the arm away and watched as Hiketsu backpedaled away form Kakashi, his attention turned past him. Kakashi looked to his right to see Obito striding forward. His eyes bore the same, all encompassing swirl, and the veins of his eyes were prominent, joining the circles of his pupils. Obito gritted his teeth hard, grimacing as he opened his eyes wide again. Another massive burst of flame appeared on Hiketsu's other arm, blasting it off from the shoulder. Hiketsu roared in pain as the black flame slowly engulfed his body in a massive black smoke. Hiketsu fell to one knee, seeming to look up at Obito. Obito gritted his teeth harder, but seemed to be struggling with another blast of the black flame. A dark chain sprouted from Hiketsu's empty arm socket and slammed through Obito's torso, coming out the other end in a fury of clanking metal and ripping flesh. Obito groaned in pain, blood issuing slowly from his mouth. He fell to a knee as well, gripping at the chain in his stomach. Suddenly, he snapped his head back up and roared furiously at Hiketsu, another gigantic blast striking Hiketsu in his midsection, burning a hole straight through it. The flesh dripped from Hiketsu's face as the pressure of the flame continued to burn him alive, but he refused to stop. Another chain burst forth from the remains of his torso, striking Obito straight through his chest to join its comrade on the other side of Obito's body. Obito spat out a massive river of blood, but he refused to fall as well. _

"_Obito," yelled Kakashi. Kakashi pushed off the ground hard, moving himself onto tired legs as he made his way towards his friend. Obito shot up an arm to hold Kakashi back as he screwed his eyes in concentration at what remained of Hiketsu. He forced himself to stand again, his eyes staring madly at Hiketsu. He gave one last furious roar as the rest of Hiketsu's body exploded into horrid black smoke, the dark flame eating away at everything it touched. Hiketsu fell back to the ground unmoving as the black flame consumed every part of him. Obito gazed off at Hiketsu's burnt corpse and smiled broadly at his handiwork. His legs buckled beneath him and gave way, forcing him to his knees. Kakashi sprinted forward with what strength he had left. "Obito…c'mon we have to get out of here. We need to get you and Gai to a doctor." Obito craned his neck slowly until he was face to face with Kakashi, the same wry grin on his face. _

"_Not me Kakashi," Obito croaked haggardly, "I won't be going with you." _

"_Nonsense," said Kakashi. He pulled out a kunai and began cutting at the chains with what little strength was left in his arms. "We're going back to the Leaf. You and Gai are going to get patched up, and we're going to get over this whole experience." Obito let out a broken and destroyed laugh that quickly descended into a coughing fit spilling blood on his knees. _

"_What would await me at the Leaf Kakashi," asked Obito, "I killed our precious comrade. I would be tried and executed for my crimes. I would bring shame to my clan and die a dishonorable death. So what's the point Kakashi?" Kakashi did not answer at first, his eyes wavering across Obito's wounds. He gave up trying to cut the black metal and placed his hands around the chains to pull them out of Obito. Obito's hands met his and pushed them away, the wry grin never leaving his face. _

"_No one," stammered Kakashi, "no one would have to know about that. It's just you and me. I can't…I can't lose anymore friends! I've lost too much! Even if we've had our differences, you're still my best friend! Even after all you've done…I can't lose you!"_

"_No Kakashi," replied Obito softly, "we can't be friends anymore. I'm the equivalent of a traitor, and even if you never told anyone, I can't live in that lie anymore." Kakashi stared at Obito in disbelief. Tears were beginning to well down both of their faces, wetting the dried blood on both of them. "The Leaf needs you. You're the White Fang of Konoha. And if you haven't noticed Kakashi," laughed Obito weakly, "I'm dieing. He got me pretty good. But that's alright. This is where I'm going to die, and that's fine. For once," he coughed loudly, more blood erupting from his mouth, but he never stopped smiling. Tears streamed down his face to fill in with the pool of blood beneath him, but he didn't stop smiling. "For one shining moment, I protected you with my power. For once, her death wasn't meaningless. I wonder…will I see her again? Do you think she'll forgive me Kakashi?" He looked up at his friend with desperate eyes, but Kakashi could say nothing. Obito's body began to slip downward, but Kakashi caught his friend in his arms, propping him up with all the strength of his arms. Obito laughed loudly again, "No, she probably won't. But that's alright, I don't deserve forgiveness." Obito looked up desperately at Kakashi. He reached his own arms up to Kakashi's face, his fingernails grasping at the mask Kakashi always wore as he pulled it down revealing Kakashi's entire face. "You really are too damn good looking for your own good," laughed Obito. He moved his arms back to Kakashi's face, feeling the side of his friend's cheek with one bloody hand. "I…I would have given anything…" Obito's voice grew steadily softer. Kakashi gripped his friend closer to him, his own eyes blurry with tears. "…anything…for even one moment…to be…like…you." Obito's hand slowly fell from his face to hit the ground with a splash as his eyelids began to close steadily on his smiling face. He gave one last breath before Kakashi's friend grew forever silent. _

_Kakashi shook Obito's body. "Obito c'mon," he said desperately, "you can't die Obito. Please don't die. Please…Dammit! Don't die you bastard! GET UP!" The chains around Obito's body suddenly clanked to life and pulled Obito's lifeless corpse from Kakashi's grasp. Kakashi watched in horror as Hiketsu pulled Obito's body into his own arms. The burnt skin on his body slowly reformed, covering the bones and muscles that lied beneath them. In a manner of seconds he was completely resurrected, cradling Obito's lifeless frame in his arms. "GIVE HIM BACK YOU SON OF A BITCH!" roared Kakashi as he charged unwieldy towards Hiketsu. His knees buckled under the stress and he fell at Hiketsu's feet. Kakashi clawed at Hiketsu's boots pushing himself up. He clamped on Hiketsu's cape and pulled himself up with all his might. He locked his legs into place, forcing himself to stand face to face with Hiketsu. "I won't let you take him," said Kakashi, "you've taken too much from me. I won't let you take him too!" Hiketsu's eyes gave no indication of him staring back, and his face remained the same cold, expressionless state it had begun with. _

"_I know of such anguish struggler," Hiketsu said softly, "yet I feel nothing for your plight. Such emotions were removed from me a long time ago. However," Hiketsu shot a single arm out, grabbing Kakashi by the throat and hoisting him in the air. Kakashi clawed at Hiketsu's hand as he felt his lungs burn and struggle for air. "I will honor your friend's last request as a reward for your struggle." Hiketsu withdrew a single long finger from the grip around Kakashi's neck and moved it up to Kakashi's left eye. The lack of oxygen coupled with his fatigue was too much, and darkness began to consume Kakashi once again. _

"_I think he's coming to," came an unfamiliar, deep voice from in front of Kakashi. "You awake in there?" Kakashi blinked his eyes awake, squinting hard at the bright light in front of him._

"_Where am I," he groaned. Kakashi's entire body ached with pain, and the left side of his face stung horribly. _

"_Extraordinary," came the deep voice again. An old medical nin came into view wearing a surgical mask over his face. He pulled Kakashi's left eye open with his thumb and forefinger and stuck a small flashlight in his eyes. "Absolutely amazing." Kakashi swatted the medic away, sitting himself up as his eyes adjusted to the room. He lay on a cold, steel table in the middle of a bright circular room. Windows showed a crystal, clear blue sky with patches of white, puffy clouds floating aimlessly in the air. Next to him, the medic was staring at him intently. He pulled down his mask revealing a small, grey beard and mustache. He picked up a pad of paper and scribbled something down on it quickly. Kakashi looked to his right to see another medic, a woman, staring intently at the left side of his face, a look of great curiosity plastered to it. The room seemed familiar somehow, but everything looked different to Kakashi. Vague images seemed to surround the two medical nin, like a blurry afterimage. He could almost see the chakra swirling around them. Kakashi brought up his hand and rubbed his left eye with the palm of his hand only for the medic to swat his arm back down. _

"_Don't touch it!" he said emphatically, "This is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. Tell me, how did you do it?" _

"_Do what," snapped Kakashi, "what the hell are you talking about? Where am I? Where's Gai, and Obito?"_

"_The bowlhead's in the next room," said the doctor nonchalantly, "he was in worse shape than you, but he'll pull through. As for the Uchiha, we'd like to ask you the same question. After all," the doctor chuckled while pointing to the left side of Kakashi's face. Kakashi screwed his face in confusion. What was this man talking about anyway? "You mean," said the doctor in disbelief, "you don't know?"_

"_KNOW WHAT?" yelled Kakashi, "I'm tired of this guessing game. Where's Obito and where the hell am I?" _

"_Calm down, calm down," said the medic passively, "you're in Konoha. We sent reinforcements to your encampment, but we found you on the way, both of you." _

"_What about Obito," asked Kakashi fervently, "did anyone else survive?" _

"_We didn't see the Uchiha at all," replied the medic solemnly, "and besides you two, no one else survived. Quite a scene of carnage I might add. What happened there? You get ambushed by a horde of Cloud ANBU? Looks like the work of fifty maybe sixty nin at most. So…" The medic waited for an answer, his pen pressed tightly against his notepad. Kakashi opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it again. He wanted to tell him, everyone about Hiketsu, the nin that would not die not matter how many times they struck him down. He wanted to tell them about how they had valiantly fought this man off, only to be struck down by him so easily. But would he really believe that? Could he really believe that one nin was able to take down an entire Leaf squadron like nothing? They might think he was just delirious. _

"_Yeah," said Kakashi lazily, "we were ambushed. They killed most of the ANBU off, but we barely survived. I failed as commander and my friends suffered the consequences. Obito…died…saving my life."_

"_Well then," said the nin, clicking his pen loudly against his shirt, "you might want to explain this." He took a mirror off the far wall and passed it to Kakashi. Kakashi took it reluctantly and held it to his face. His face looked basically the same, save for a long scar across his left eye…which now held a three-tear Sharingan. Kakashi's eyes went wide from shock as he felt the left side of his face to see if it was real. _

"_I…I don't believe it," whispered Kakashi. _

"_Yeah, it's quite a piece of handiwork," chuckled the nin, "I don't know how they were able to attach an Uchiha organ to your body without it rejecting your blood. Uchiha eyes generally only work with Uchiha blood, but this one. Wow. It's quite impressive how they reattached the nerve endings. I don't know anyone who's successfully done this. Please, if it wasn't you, who did this to you?"_

_Kakashi stammered with an answer, but found his tongue too heavy to speak. He brought his hand up again, feeling over the left side of his face. His eyelid blinked reactively as Kakashi's finger came closer to the eye. But it was there. A three-teared Sharingan lay in his left eye socket. "I don't know."_

'…I won't let them take anyone else from me ever again.'

Sorry this took so long to get out. Finals were coming around the corner from my last update so I hadn't been working on the story for some time. Its Summer now, so I don't have any excuse for not updating regularly. A good part of the next chapter is done so I'll probably upload that sometime next week. Thanks to everyone who's stuck to the story and thanks everyone for reviewing.

indigonitelite.


	31. Part 49: True Emotions

Part 4.9: True Emotions

Naruto stared down at the floor, flicking his fingers nervously between balling and relaxing his fists. He could not stop moving, swaying his body back and forth as he sat on the padded bench. This was the second time in a few hours he'd been sitting in this exact same spot, waiting for the prognosis on Gai. Naruto felt anxiety creep through him then, but this felt different. Naruto was convinced Gai was invincible. Kakashi had been in similar spots, but always came out intact. Jounin seemed to know how to live so well. But this was the worst kind of doubt, the kind that ate away slowly at you from the inside out with an unending stream of questions. Emotions swirled through his veins like a river as his heart danced faster and faster to the ebb and flow. His mouth felt horribly dry, but he didn't want to move from this spot to quench himself.

Lee refused to sit, but rather fell to the ground doing push-ups, crunches, and other calisthenics, grunting loudly as he did so. Yet his eyes were the only thing that never moved, their focus attuned to the red light like a horrid wonder had captured his attention, his eyes filled with the same single-mindedness he bore when enduring a particularly painful training session. Naruto felt the impulse to join him but for the first time in his life, felt himself zapped of energy.

Watching a comrade cling to life so desperately felt like a gigantic crater had been driven into his chest. He had felt it in Wave country when he believed…Sasuke…had almost died. From there, he felt a fiery, fury fill consume that gap like an explosion, leaving only rage and revenge in his mind. He felt it again when confronting Gaara after the first Chuunin exams, yet it was different. That feeling was a great passion pushing against him, a desire above all others to protect those he cared about. He remembered those times well, engrained in his mind as they were, yet this was different. Back then, he knew the situation, and his mind locked onto a single task, and he pursued it relentlessly. But here, he knew nothing. There were no enemies in front of him to fight and no people to protect. All he could do, was wait, and it sickened him.

Naruto resumed looking back at his hands, bending his fingers across one another nervously. This felt so different from Gai's operation. With Gai, Naruto had seen him fall, had been there to help. But this, they didn't even know what had happened to her. Did she get sick? Did she have an accident? Or worse, was she attacked? Lee mentioned something about meeting at the room in an hour, but Naruto had no idea what that was about. In only an hour's time, two of his closest friends had been pulled violently from him, and now a man he considered had once considered his brother was threatening his life. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. He was supposed to meet Sasuke. They would fight, but Naruto would be victorious, and in the end, he would bring Sasuke back into the fold, and everything would be the way it should be. Then he would become a Chuunin, along with the rest of his team and would be a step closer to fulfilling his dream of becoming Hokage.

But reality was not so kind. Instead the gap between himself and Sasuke had worsened. His friends were beginning to drop left and right. His own anger was moving beyond his control. It was too much to bear anymore. It seemed like ever since he entered this damned country a grim specter had been following him, destroying everything that made his life worth living.

Naruto stood straight up and began pacing back and forth, his eyes following the lines of the white, tile floor. His footsteps echoed softly in the small room. It was a welcome change to the terrible silence that had descended upon them like a dark shroud, covering everything he wanted to see, muffling everything he wanted to hear. Why was this happening? What the hell was going on here? The horrific restlessness built up inside, piling upon itself. He had to do something, anything at all to break this restlessness inside of him. Naruto let out an enraged yell and slammed his fist hard into the wall next to him, leaving a deep imprint in the white plaster and stone. He regretted it almost immediately as a throbbing pain shot through his hand.

"An excellent idea Naruto," said Lee. Naruto turned to watch Lee begin attacking the wall himself, pulling punch after punch against the white surface. "This is an excellent way to train one's self with what is available." Naruto shot Lee a very confused look, watching his friend vigorously punch at the wall, increasing the swelling of his already broken and strained hand. But something else had caught Naruto's eye. Lee's face bore the same strain, the same look of confusion and worry that his own bore. There was an intense fear locked in Lee's dark eyes, a deep restlessness that no doubt bit at him hard. Naruto stared at Lee for a moment, comforted at least a little that there was someone who knew how he felt.

"What the hell do you think you're doing," roared the doctor at the desk, "Walls cost money you little brats! I have to pay to get that fixed now. Can't you just sit your little, impatient asses down for ten seconds and wait like good children?"

Naruto moved his head from Lee, back to the doctor and smiled slyly. "No," said Naruto, as he resumed punching the wall.

"You little-" However, the doctor's angered speech was cut short as the doors to the operating room opened. Gai strode wobbly into the room. His shook horribly under him, but he managed to keep balance. The poison evidently still rocked at his system. He watched them idly punch the wall for a moment before breaking out in a hearty laugh.

"Just like the students of Maito Gai to train under any circumstances," he shouted, "Impressive job my students." He shot them an obligatory thumbs up along with a brilliant smile. Behind him, the doctor's face turned so red Naruto thought he would catch fire, but he just stormed behind the desk, cursing under his breath.

"Is she alright," asked Naruto. Gai quickly stopped laughing and gave Naruto a very serious look. However, a broad smile slowly grew across his face that sparkled brightly.

"She will be fine," said Gai proudly, "Our amazing Hokage is working with her right now, and I am most assured that she will be back up to full health in no time." Naruto sighed, feeling a huge burden lifted off his chest.

"What happened to her Gai-sensei," asked Lee. Gai's smile faded and the serious look returned to his face.

"She was attacked by someone," spat Gai, "Kakashi rescued her from that person's clutches and brought her back here. I will not lie to you my students, she was not in the best of shape. But I am sure she will pull through." Lee sighed as well, relaxing his shoulders slightly as his body became calm again. However, something bit at the back of Naruto's mind. For some reason, the fact that she was attacked hit him with a strange feeling of déjà vu, but he couldn't understand why. Naruto shook it off and returned his attention back to Gai.

"Can we see her," asked Naruto hopefully.

Gai shook his head, "No," he said, "Our Hokage still needs time to work with her, but I have arranged lodgings nearby so that we may be close. I know that my students would not want to be far from their comrade." Just at that moment, the double doors behind Gai opened up. Naruto sidestepped Lee to get a better view. Tsunade slowly walked out from behind the doors. Her eyes were wide with shock, and a look of horror appeared wretched on her face. Naruto's spirits fell like a brick from the look on Tsunade's face, but as soon as she saw Naruto, she cracked a small grin.

"She's awake if you want to see her," said Tsunade in a very forced cheeriness. Naruto rushed past Gai and flung himself into the room, Lee not far behind.

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Gai watched his students rush past him, a confident smile on his face. Tsunade was truly amazing. He already owed so much to her. First she had saved Lee, and now TenTen. Truly a woman worthy of the title of Hokage. Gai gave her a bright grin, but Tsunade did not return the gesture. She walked slowly over to the long couch and sat down with a thud. She stared up at the ceiling as a deep sigh passed through her lips.

"No doubt you are tired Hokage-sama," said Gai, "but I must thank you properly for all you have done for me. Your amazing repair of my student Lee, and now your timely healing of my student TenTen, I am so grateful to you Tsunade-sama. You truly are ama-"

"Gai," interrupted Tsunade, "you might want to sit down." Gai nodded, curious as to why Tsunade looked so downtrodden. Gai moved gingerly forward, the poison still affecting him slightly, and took a seat next to Tsunade. Tsunade bent her head down and stared at her hands. She kept trying to speak, but seemed to cut herself off every time. Finally, she closed her eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath before she began. "Alright, I won't lie to you Gai," said Tsunade, her voice slightly shaken, "I can't repair all of the damage to her spine."

Now Gai was very confused. 'Damage to her spine,' thought Gai, 'what is she talking about.' "Forgive my ignorance Hokage-sama, but I was not aware that the damage was anything but superficial, striking skin and muscle tissue. Perhaps a few broken bones, but nothing that is beyond your skill to repair. What are you referring to exactly?"

Tsunade took another deep breath. She forced her words out and seemed very reluctant to talk. "There was extensive damage to her spine. Specifically the nerves associated with movement. The work was done very meticulously; it looked like someone with an extensive knowledge in anatomy and human physiology. It's just…too much to damage to repair Gai. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" Gai stared at her in disbelief, not daring to speak, to do so would be to confirm his own fears. "She's paralyzed Gai," continued Tsunade slowly, "I can't repair the nervous tissue."

"But with Lee," stammered Gai, "there were problems with his spine as well, and you fixed it. It was risky, but you saved his nindo with your skill. How is this any different?"

"I can't create nervous tissue Gai," said Tsunade dauntingly, "The body doesn't heal like that, and no medic has ever created replacement nerve tissue. I'm sorry Gai, but there's nothing I can do at this point. From the looks of things, she's paralyzed for life from the neck down." Gai stared at Tsunade in disbelief, his mouth gaping in shock, and his eyes beginning to tear. He shook his head hard, an overwhelming fear and frustration cutting deep inside of him.

"No," groaned Gai, "no, I don't believe that. There has to be something we can do. I refuse to believe that nothing can be done. You must heal her. There must be some surgery, some medicine, ANYTHING! If all she needs is a replacement I will gladly give you my own!"

"That's very noble Gai," said Tsunade defiantly, "but it won't help anything. I can't just take anyone's nerve tissue and put it in the spot where she's missing some. The body doesn't accept organ transplants of that nature, and it's near impossible to do precisely. Even if I could, it would end up in her entire body collapsing from nervous shock. She's lucky to be alive as it is Gai."

"You call that lucky," snapped Gai, "This is anything but lucky. This can't be happening. She wanted to grow to become a strong nin. She wanted to be confident, amazing, someone that could take charge of any situation. She wanted to be just like YOU!" Tsunade turned away from this comment, the words seeming to sting her deeply. "I won't allow her to live such a life. There has to be something you can do. Anything, I don't care what it takes. I just…" Gai stood up and pounded his fists on the wall behind him. "I can't give up. I can't. I can't!" He pounded harder and harder on the bright wall, the sound of his fists cracking against the stone bounding through the room like a hammer against a wall.

"Gai calm down," shouted Tsunade. She grabbed Gai by the shoulder and pushed him hard against the wall, forcing a loud cough from Gai. "I know you're upset, but making a scene isn't going to solve anything. I'm sorry, but you're just going to have to accept the truth. There's nothing I can do. Believe me, if there was, I would tell you. But no medical nin has every done what you're asking me to do. This isn't like healing skin or muscles, or even organs. The way in which this was done, it was like it was cut from the inside out. Almost like a blade was formed inside of her body and slashed at specific areas of the spinal column. I'm sorry Gai, I really am, but right now, there's nothing I can do." Gai snarled at Tsunade. He had no intention of sitting here deliberating what could not be done while his student lay in a false death. He wanted to scream, to punch something, to fight a foe, climb a mountain, run a million laps around the world itself, anything to cure her. Gai's knees buckled beneath him, and he slid slowly towards the ground. Tsunade looked down on him, tears beginning to well up in her own eyes, but she quickly wiped them away and resumed the strong façade of a Hokage. She knelt down and rubbed Gai's shoulder comfortingly as Gai lay on his knees on the ground, staring blankly at the white, tile floor. "I want to do something Gai," said Tsunade compassionately, "but I can't. You ask for the impossible. I mean, the only times I've ever even heard of mass healings like what you're asking are in legends and stories, nothing real…"Gai did not want to hear what Tsunade had to say. She was trying to distract him from the moment at hand, but Gai had no intention of removing his focus. The feeling of hope leaving his spirit was like his own soul was being sucked dry. He did not want to listen. He did not want to do anything. "There's a lot I don't know in the world Gai, so I can't say it's hopeless. But in any case, there's nothing more I can do." She smiled warmly at Gai and gave him a small pat on the shoulder before turning towards the door. Just as she reached the exit, she turned towards Gai once again. "Please don't give up on her Gai. She's going to need your support now more than ever."

"I know," said Gai in a melancholy tone, "Thank you Tsunade, for everything."

"Take care Gai." And Tsunade walked out of the room, the sound of her steps fading as a grisly silence hung over the room once again.

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Naruto's eyes went wide and his mouth was left gaping as he stared into the hospital room. The section was partitioned off from the rest of the hospital, still lingering with the same bright, white walls, with a single window off to the side that shone the moon and stars in the sky. Yet no matter how bright everything in the room may have seemed, the scene in the center of it made everything drab and depressing.

The sound of various machines pumping, beeping, and whizzing in a low cacophony interrupted any silence. These machines surrounded a single bed on three sides where TenTen lay. Strips of thick cloth with black seals and markings on them covered her entire body save her head, which lay motionless, her eyes open staring at the ceiling blankly. A large, clear mask with a plastic tube leading to another machine covered both her mouth and nose making her breathing audible from a distance. Bandages came down in two thin strips from her face moving past the nape of her neck to disappear under the strips of cloth.

Naruto stared at her for a moment, giving time for the horribly hot feeling wrenching in his stomach to move in deeper and dissipate. His legs stood frozen in place, wavering slightly under the mental shock of seeing his friend in such a position. He wanted to say something, but he had no idea what. He turned to Lee, who looked much the same as Naruto, but suddenly, Lee took in a very deep breath and forced a smile on his face as he walked quickly towards TenTen's bed. Naruto had no idea how Lee could possible smile, but he didn't feel like asking. Naruto simply watched Lee move down on one knee by TenTen's side so that he was eye-level with her.

"Hello," said Lee in a forced cheeriness. TenTen blinked her eyes quickly a few times before slowly moving them towards Lee. Every inch she moved seemed shaky, painful, and horribly forced. Lee paused for a moment, seemingly lost for words. Finally, after a few failed attempts, he managed to get a clear sentence out. "I know this is little comfort," said Lee slowly, carefully, "but Gai-sensei is sure you will be fine. I too know the pangs of being under injury. But do not feel worried." Lee rose back to his feet, pumping his fist high into the air, "You are very strong! Your spirit of youth is brilliant and will not be extinguished! If the Leaf's Great Azure Beast can reincarnate, then surely you can as well! I promise!" He mimicked Gai's posture exactly, the glimmering teeth and all. Naruto didn't know if Lee's words would be comforting exactly but was still thankful that they were no longer standing in silence. Lee's eyes shifted towards Naruto as he waved him over. Naruto hesitated for a moment, swallowing a hard lump in his throat, before making his way over to TenTen's bedside. The hot, empty feeling in the pit of his stomach still didn't leave, and his mouth felt dryer with every step he took. He finally stood next to her bed. Her eyes moved slowly towards him, meeting his own in an awkward look as Naruto stared at her. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. His mind was completely shut, like someone had taken the ability to speak from his mind, his head felt vacant, and empty. There was a very heavy silence between them that Naruto did not know how long lasted, but thankfully Lee broke it.

"Um…" Lee stammered, "Naruto agrees with me, most defiantly." He nudged Naruto with his arm, as Naruto nodded in confirmation with the statement, not entirely sure if he completely agreed with Lee or not. TenTen smiled very weakly at this. Naruto half-expected her to laugh, but that seemed to be beyond her capabilities. Finally, his mind came together, and the only words he could think of quickly spilled out.

"We're going to get the bastards that did this," Naruto said, "I promise. I'll make them pay for what they did to you." Naruto felt a slight tug on his shoulder and found Lee looking very seriously at him.

"We both will," he said defiantly, turning his attention back towards TenTen, "this act will not go unpunished. As your comrades, we will find the culprit and make him answer for this crime." Naruto and Lee simultaneously brought their arms out in a thumbs-up pose.

"We promise," they said simultaneously, each one surprised at the other. TenTen did not seem to respond to this, but merely stared at the both of them. It was odd to see her so expressionless when she was usually was full of energy and life. Naruto felt a sick feeling overwhelm him, digging down inside his chest.

The double doors behind them opened again as Naruto and Lee both turned to see Gai stride solemnly into the room. His eyes looked red, and bloodshot, like he had been crying, but as much as Gai cried this was nothing new. Still, something in the manner he walked, like he had been completely drained of energy, almost solemnly. Lee noticed it too and a look of concern washed over his face as he stared at his sensei.

"Gai-sensei," Lee asked, "is everything alright?" Gai's head quickly shot up and stared at Lee for a moment before his trademark grin returned to his face.

"Of course Lee," said Gai exuberantly, "Your sensei is feeling most assured is his physical condition. It will not be soon before-"

"What did the old lady Tsunade say," interrupted Naruto. Gai continued to smile, but something in his eyes seemed out of place. The sparkle that usually lit up the entire room and filled them all with energy was missing from his face.

"Tsunade," stammered Gai slightly, the words seeming to leave him, "…Tsunade says…that she will be fine. She will be unable to move for a few weeks, but she will make a full recovery." Naruto and Lee both breathed a collective sigh of relief, and Naruto felt the horrid feeling inside of himself cool down slightly.

"Do they knew who her attacker is," asked Lee quickly. Naruto stared at Gai, waiting for a reply. If he was going to kick someone's ass he'd like to know who.

"Not at the moment," replied Gai quickly, "Kakashi was the one who rescued her. You'll have to ask him when he returns. In the meantime you should probably get some rest. The second part of the Chuunin exam does start tomorrow."

"But Gai-sensei," exclaimed Lee, "what if this attacker returns to finish his task? We should stand guard over her!" Naruto said nothing but nodded in agreement. He hadn't thought about the possibility of the attacker returning, and standing guard would be a good idea.

"That is not necessary," replied Gai, "I will stand watch over my student."

"No offense sensei," said Naruto, "but you won't be much good for a while. If we don't know how strong this guy is, you may not be much help." Gai looked like he had been slapped in the face at first, but soon began actually consider Naruto's words, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"As amazing an Azure Beast as I am," said Gai, "perhaps you are correct. However, I will not be far. Even in this state, I am still the amazing Maito Gai, Great Rare Beast of the Hidden Leaf!" He ended his speech in the usual fashion of a whooping-crane pose complete with a frothing ocean behind him. He held the pose for a moment, before his leg gave out from under him. Gai fell in a heap to the floor as Naruto tried not to laugh. TenTen's mouth moved to a smile as Gai heartily guffawed at his own weakness.

"Even weakened, Gai-sensei is amazing," yelled Lee, "Very well, I stand watch first. You should get some rest Naruto."

"What are you talking about," snapped Naruto, "I'm perfectly fine. You should get some rest; I'll stand guard."

"Though your generosity is appreciated Naruto," continued Lee matter-of-factly, "I am an Azure Beast of much endurance. I could stand four nights without sleep."

"Big deal," shouted Naruto back, "I could stand five!"

"I could stand a week!"

"I could stand two!" Naruto and Lee were nose to nose now, each one shouting a progressively greater date. Naruto could see TenTen out of the corner of his eye, a weak laugh almost escaping her lips that made any heavy feeling inside of him lighten immediately.

"Students," yelled Gai, quieting Naruto and Lee, "there is only one real way that real men settle these kinds of disputes. It is a time honored tradition amongst eternal rivals and comrades. Janken!"

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Gai left the room, watching Naruto and Lee play round after round of Janken to determine who would guard first. He chuckled under his breath as he walked out of the hospital and down the hall. The aftereffects of the poison were still strong, but nothing he couldn't handle. His muscles were still shaky, and as much as he hated to admit it, he wouldn't be much help in guarding TenTen.

He walked out of the hospital room with a heavy sigh right into a large blast of cigarette smoke. He coughed slightly as he watched the head doctor taking long drags from a cigarette before slowly blowing out the smoke. "Aren't those bad for your health," asked Gai quizzically. The doctor took a particularly long drag before exhaling through his nose, pushing the smoke towards the ground.

"Being a ninja is worse I hear," he said sarcastically, "and in any case, you may think you did something sweet, lying to those kids. But you're going to have to tell them the truth sooner or later. I think she'll figure out she can't move after those few weeks you talked about."

"I never lie," replied Gai darkly. The doctor laughed mockingly at Gai's statement.

"So even though your Hokage, quite possibly the greatest medic in existence, gave you the diagnosis, you're still certain she'll be okay? Where are you getting this second opinion from, some imaginary friend?" Gai shot him a very dirty look that cut the doctor to the bone, almost making him drop his cigarette. "Hey, hey, sorry okay," he said quickly, "I'm just curious about how you're going to make things 'all better'. I mean you heard what she said, the body won't take new nervous tissue in, and she can't create replacement. It's like trying to re-grow a new arm or heart. I mean, do you know anyone who can do that?"

"Actually," replied Gai solemnly, "I do." The doctor snorted loudly before spitting on the floor in front of Gai.

"Well good luck with that," he said, passing on the cigarette pack to Gai, "You might want to start, talking like you do." The doctor walked back into the operating room as Gai stared at the pack of cigarettes in his hand. His mind was racing, every alarm in his mind going off, warning him about his actions.

'Do I dare,' he thought, 'but I made a promise. I have to think on this. This is not a decision that can be made rashly.' Gai flung the pack to the ground as he walked back towards his room, his mind deep in thought.

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Tsunade made her way ploddingly up the long staircase. Every step she took rebounded off the walls like a drum as her head pounded painfully from lack of sleep and fatigue. She could hardly remember the last time she had a decent sleep, the last time her thoughts were at ease rather than attacked by the nightmare of a recurring war. To say the talks had been going badly would be an understatement. Every time the Raikage and she discussed anything it always led back to the war, the Raikage making some subtle comment about the bloodline massacre and then going on a tirade about the losses his village had sustained from the 'bloodthirsty' Leaf. To make matters worse, representatives from Hidden Mist and Stone had arrived and the Raikage was making it his personal duty to escort them around the village. 'If I make any mistakes,' thought Tsunade, 'even one slip-up, it may cost us more now than ever.' Tsunade sighed loudly as she rounded a final flight of stairs towards an oaken door. She closed her eyes. Her head pounded furiously now, like a gigantic gong was crashing repeatedly in her head. She leaned forward, looking to rest her head against the door for a moment. Unfortunately, she leaned too far and slammed her forehead hard into the door with a loud thud. She quickly recoiled back, her hands feeling around the painful knot that formed slowly on her head. Tsunade let loose a frustrated growl before roaring a string of every curse she knew only for her echo to shout it right back at her.

"You and the door have a fight," asked a familiar voice beside her. Tsunade snapped her head to her right to see Kakashi leaning lazily against the far wall. He had changed from his tattered garments back into a spare piece of dark, black clothing with the same green vest. Tsunade scowled at him before jamming her room key into the doorknob and pushing it open. She reached her hand against the wall to her right before finally contacting with a small switch on it, flicking it up to illuminate a single, overhead light. The room was a grey box, devoid of any real furnishings save a bed, sink, and toilet. It reminded her more of a prison cell than any accommodation. She stepped inside, her high-heels clicking loudly against the tile floor. "Cozy," said Kakashi sarcastically. Tsunade rose a single finger into the air, signaling for Kakashi to be silent. Kakashi nodded and leaned back against the wall in the hallway, pulling a small book from a pouch behind him. Tsunade ignored him and returned her focus to the room. She moved towards the wall closest to her and pressed her hands up against the cold, grey stone. It was weak, but there definitely was a small pulse moving through it. She sidestepped to her left, turning her head and placing her ear against the wall. The sound grew fainter as she moved, and the pulse slowly grew weaker. She quickly sidestepped back towards the sound, the pulse slowly becoming stronger against her hands. Slowly, a small beeping became audible as she inched closer to it. Finally, her hands could feel the vibration right under them. Tsunade smiled wryly as she pulled her body back, forming a few basic seals. She channeled a small bit of chakra to her hands and sent a small, static pulse through the wall. The beeping quickly shut off, and the vibration stopped.

"I have such a thoughtful host," said Tsunade, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "he's so worried about my safety he places bugs in the room just to make sure I'm protected." Kakashi stepped slowly into the room, his face still buried in his book. "Now what is it Kakashi." Kakashi quickly shoved a silver of paper into the book, marking his place, before stuffing it back into his pouch.

"I'll get right to the point," said Kakashi seriously, "the assailant of the girl you treated is one of the Hidden Cloud. He was dressed in this." He reached back behind him and pulled out a small sliver of red cloth, holding it out for Tsunade's observation. The structure looked strange, like small, scaly diamonds crossed over a rubbery mesh, but the material did seem familiar. "I don't suppose you've seen this before."

"As a matter of fact I have," said Tsunade, her mind struggling to recall a name, "I remember meeting a nin who wore this before. His name was….Set, Izou Set."

"Izou Set eh," said Kakashi in a thoughtful tone, "the Izou namesake is quite well known around here."

"Yeah, but the Raikage didn't make him out to be anything special," replied Tsunade, "seemed like an arrogant, repugnant brat though."

"I wouldn't trust the Raikage's word on that," said Kakashi, his tone underlying something sinister, "this 'brat' may be more than meets the eye. Whenever I engaged him, he used something called, the Crimson bloodline, that's pretty famous in this country too. I'm not sure what he did, but he managed to cause extensive injuries to me despite the fact that he is a mere Genin."

"Maybe," replied Tsunade shortly. She was getting impatient with Kakashi and it was beginning to show in her voice. "What are you getting at exactly Kakashi? I have a feeling that you didn't just come here to tell me this."

"My point is we don't know anything about this place or the people in it," said Kakashi, "we're dealing with foreign elements in a foreign land against a people who harbor quite a grudge against us. I've been investigating where I can, learning some of the local history, customs, but I've not wanted to overstep my bounds. But now, I think we need to start heavily investigating just what the Raikage has in store for us. The Sound too, they represent just as much a threat, if not more so considering the info they have on our country, especially with some of their more recent additions," Kakashi added darkly, "Wars are won and lost by information, and I can't help but feel like we're being pushed into a corner here Tsunade. I know ninjas are born and bred in the shadows, but I don't like being in the dark information-wise. I think we need to start assigning Chuunin and Jounin not assigned within a genin team to begin secretly collecting as much information as possible about the Raikage and the Cloud, Orochimaru and the Sound, and those two nins you met before."

Tsunade stared silently at Kakashi, leaving a heavy quiet between them. To be honest, she had thought about what Kakashi was asking, but thought risking a possible treaty with Thunder Country for a few scraps of information would be foolish. But now, with any hope for peace slowly falling from her grasp bit by bit, maybe it was time to throw caution to the wind and start collecting information. Tsunade let out a hard sigh, she felt defeated, like someone had just sucked all the energy out of her body, leaving her a fallen opponent on the battlefield. 'I wanted this peace so badly,' she thought, 'but I won't sacrifice my village to grasp at straws.' She steeled her insides, feeling energy flow back into her again. She hardened her face and stood up straight on the bed. "Alright Kakashi," she said in a commanding tone, "We'll meet with as many nin as we can and start assigning espionage tasks. Still, I understand the first two requests, they're obvious, but what do these two nins have to do with anything?"

"Have you seen the results of the first phase of the Chuunin exam," asked Kakashi. Tsunade shook her head, shooting Kakashi a very confused look. "Only three Hidden Cloud nin made it up the mountain. I couldn't recognize any names at first, but Izou Set was on that list. The other two were called Kanitsu Cally and Kusemono Julius. Don't you find it odd that they're taking an exam in their home country, one they could have easily prepared for, and only three nin get past the first phase?"

Tsunade felt shocked by this news; she had been out of the loop of news apparently. "How do you know this," asked Tsunade quizzically.

"It's open news," replied Kakashi, "the list was posted a few hours ago when the last nin made it up the mountain."

"So what happened to the rest of the Hidden Cloud nin?"

Kakashi paused for a moment before continuing, his voice tone growing very gloom, "Besides those three, the rest were found dead at the bottom of the cliff an hour after the exam ended. I'm almost positive the Raikage had something to do with it."

Tsunade's eyes went wide with shock from this news, but at the same time felt very confused from the info. "I don't understand," questioned Tsunade, "What would the Raikage have to gain from killing his own genin, and how do we even know this was the Raikage's doing?"

"I didn't think about it at first, but something the Raikage said to me recently made me almost sure it was his doing. He mentioned the reason we were under investigation, that one of Orochimaru's students was found mutilated a few feet away from a Leaf forehead protector, and a Hidden Cloud village was found slaughtered on our way here. We're being blamed for both events."

"What would he have to gain from tarnishing our reputation? These people hate us anyway. What is he-" Suddenly, everything became clear in a single instance, like every piece of a gigantic puzzle came together to form a clear picture. "The Stone and Mist. He's trying to depict us as bloodthirsty killers to them. Still, there's no hard evidence for that, just speculation. He must be planning something else, if he is planning something. Just staining our reputation isn't enough."

"I think so too," said Kakashi, "but I agree there's more underfoot than just that, and I'm sure those three genin are involved somehow. In any case, the Raikage is using this whole exam as a political maneuver of some kind, so we need to be ready for anything. I'm assuming I have your support then?"

Tsunade nodded at Kakashi. She felt like she was back in the civil war between the ninja nations, issuing orders to troops that may or may not return. It gave her a horrible feeling of nostalgia that bit at her insides, but she forced it down, keeping her resolve steeled. "Have you found out anything of significance thus far?"

Kakashi shrugged, "Hard to say. I've found bits and pieces of history, mainly concerning the Izou dynasty as that seems to be the only thing relevant that is open to the public. From what I understand Izou Dao was the most powerful nin to ever come out of Thunder Country, possessing a skill known from then on as the Crimson Bloodline. He created Hidden Cloud village and ruled it for quite some time. All the history books seem to think he ruled for around 300 years, though I don't know how that's possible. No record of how long Dao lived, when he died, or what he looked like, they just talk mainly about his bloodline. They say he was an absolute terror on the battlefield, and that he could take down an army single-handedly. Once again, no description how he did it, or what his bloodline did, but he seemed to be powerful. He ruled until his son, Izou Kai, killed him in single combat. Kai established Thunder Country and Thunder Capitol and ruled for around 60 years until he was killed by Izou Shin, his brother. It goes on like that with someone beget someone else, all previous rulers attaining power from killing the previous one, five of the eight Raikages being from the Izou clan. The current one is called Hakkyou Gisei, and besides his name, not much is known about him, except that he killed the Seventh after the war was over and his first act was the demand for Hyuuga Hiashi's body. Besides basic information anyone with a library card could find out, not much. Hopefully, that will change soon."

Tsunade nodded in silence. She had tried to find out as much information as possible concerning the situation, but unfortunately, felt herself being led blindly through a dangerous maze, led by a person she could not trust. Still, something about Kakashi's message bothered her. Something tickled the back of her mind, irritating her to no end until finally, she simply spoke out, "and what of Hiketsu?" There was a very heavy silence between the two of them. Kakashi's reluctance to tell her of this possible threat was becoming more than an annoyance. She grew tired of being in the dark for so long, and now was the time to finally step forward and present all everything with even the slightest relevance. "Tell me everything Kakashi," she said in a forceful tone, "don't leave anything out."

"I doubt you would believe me if I told you the whole story," he replied sardonically.

"Try me."

Kakashi glared menacingly at her for a moment, but Tsunade stayed her resolve, showing an iron face to Kakashi's stern look. Finally, he bowed his head in defeat, and his eyes drooped slightly, seeming to recall memories better left forgotten.

"It was ten years ago," Kakashi began slowly, "near the end of the 50 years war…"

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The Raikage watched idly as Raan closed the doors to his chamber with a loud thud. He stared into empty space for a few moments, his mind vexed with constant pressure. Ever since the plan's beginnings, he felt like a lead weight had been strapped to his chest, slowly crushing his chest and robbing him of any breath. He could not remember the last time he had slept well, and even now the lids of his eyes hung heavy across his bloodshot eyes, his face drooping against the mental fatigue that had slowly begun to chip away at him. The Raikage moved back to his paperwork, shuffling a few notes around idly as he signed the last prerequisites for the second and final exams. The second exam would be the most important; the plan had to move flawlessly or everything would crumble down around him. He moved the pen to check one final box and then rested his hand against the wooden table in front of him. 'I'm not cut out for this,' he thought in an aggravated tone, 'this is the work of a politician, not a ninja of my caliber.' He let out a loud sigh before moving himself to his feet with a groan. He plucked the white, triangular hat from his head and placed it on a hook nearby before untying his robe and replacing it as well leaving him in a black, tight shirt and pants. He looked down at his right arm thoughtfully before bringing it straight in front of him and flexing it slowly towards him. The massive muscles bunched together forming a giant bulge in the material in his tree-trunk like arms. He smiled, satisfied with what he saw. Physical strength was always a strong suit in his clan, and it came particularly easy for him. He allowed his arm to relax back down at his side and walked towards the single glass window in the room. It was surprisingly bright through the clouds that hung overhead. The moon and stars shone gloriously through, but it did little to alleviate his aggravation. 'He's late,' thought the Raikage, 'he's always late when I need to speak with him most. What the hell is he doing that's so important anyway. And what was with Raan?' He turned back towards the darkened door to his room. Raan had always been moody and somewhat overly emotional but always loyal. Now though, Raan was slowly becoming a liability. He wasn't stupid, and if he found out about the 'incident' involving Kimiko, the Raikage knew what his response would be. The Raikage returned to the window, his mind pushing through recent events. "I didn't want to do that," he said aloud, reassuring himself, "I lost a damn good ANBU and a loyal nin. But I can't let anyone destroy what I've fought so hard to accomplish. I have already sacrificed too much to back out now."

"That you have," came a cold, melancholy voice beside him. The Raikage might have been startled by his entrance, but the horribly cold prickling of his skin already told him who it was.

"You're late Hiketsu," said the Raikage, his voice indignant, "I ordered your presence nearly an hour ago. I do not like wasting time." The Raikage turned towards him to see Hiketsu leaning casually against the far wall. His head moved in the direction of the Raikage, but his gaze was impossible to detect, the white orbs that hung dead in his eye sockets gave him a very dazed expression, like he was staring off into nothingness.

"Then don't waste time," replied Hiketsu coolly, "get straight to the point. Why have you called for me? I am very busy." The Raikage scowled in frustration at Hiketsu but realized it was pointless.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to renege on our original agreement," said the Raikage venomously, "You haven't yet fulfilled your part of it."

"Oh?"

"Don't play dumb," continued the Raikage, his voice coming out firmer, "when we agreed to our pact you promised me weapons of unimaginable power. You promised to recreate the bloodlines that we had lost to the Leaf. What you gave me was defective equipment!"

"Defective? How so?"

"Isn't it obvious," sneered the Raikage, his voice gradually rising in volume, "Julius can barely control his rage without that medication you made. When he's off it, he's unpredictable, wild, and horribly destructive to anything and everything in his path. And SET! I could write a book about the number of things wrong with that walking insane asylum."

"He's not insane. He's consciously aware of what he's doing."

"That's not the point," roared the Raikage. He paused for a moment, forcing his rage and frustration deep inside of him as another weight felt like it had been strapped to his chest. "The point is how am I to fight a war with weapons that are uncontrollable and unreliable. You've given me defective material, and I demand that you fix it immediately."

"Fix it?"

"Yes. I know you have the ability to alter mental perception without resorting to genjutsu. I don't know how you do it, and frankly I don't care. But I want both of them fixed before the third examination. ESPECIALLY SET! I don't care if you have to lobotomize him, but do something." The Raikage spat out the last part of his speech, but Hiketsu did not respond. He simply stood there, staring off into space, not a spot on him moving, or even giving the appearance of life. No breath seemed to escape his lips, and his chest did not move up or down at all. The Raikage gritted his teeth, the silence between them feeling like a mocking slap from Hiketsu. Finally, Hiketsu straightened his posture and crossed his arms in front of him.

"No."

"No," snarled the Raikage, "what do you mean no? You can't just do nothing! This is your doing and you have to-"

"This is not any mistake of mine," replied Hiketsu, his voice stinging the Raikage hard, like an icy wind just flowed through his body. "The first bargain we made was for a resurrected bloodline. I agreed to give you the Crimson bloodline of the Izou clan, held within the next baby born to that name. I also applied the C.R.S. Seal to him at birth to ensure your 'weapon's' power. The procedure was successful, thus I left. Five years later, I returned upon your request. At that time, Set seemed perfectly normal. In fact, he was a particularly happy child wasn't he? I remember hearing the joy and exuberance in his voice, nothing at all abnormal for a child his age. But I digress, during this time, you asked me yet again to instill power into Odoriko-"

"That's not his name anymore," snapped the Raikage vehemently.

"I apologize," replied Hiketsu, "what do you call him now?" The Raikage grinded his teeth in frustration as his hands curled into fists the size of small boulders.

"Julius…" said the Raikage between clenched teeth.

"…into Julius then," continued Hiketsu undeterred, "you were disappointed he did not receive his parents' bloodline and wanted me to bring it out of him. However, we agreed upon something different. I instilled in him instead a bloodline created purely by myself, experimental I must admit, but nonetheless successful. However, you were worried that he would not have proper incentive to carry out a mission of revenge against the Leaf eye bloodlines. Thus, you had me alter his memories with new ones, depicting the bloodline massacre while eliminating his earlier ones. This, coupled with the fact that the new bloodline and a new C.R.S. seal placed him in a constant state of pain, pushed him into a vehement rage. However, I created a medication to calm him, and you were satisfied with the results. Need I go on?"

"No," snarled the Raikage through clenched teeth, "I understand-"

"I don't think you do," interrupted Hiketsu. The Raikage forced his rage even deeper inside of him, the weights piling steadily higher. "To change Julius' mental condition any further may cause more harm than you think. To do so would be unwise. And as for Set…well, that is hardly any doing of mine. From what I have gleaned, you are the one responsible for his current mental state. Delusional, psychopathic states and misogynistic behavior do not arise on their own." The Raikage bore his teeth like a wild animal, every muscle in his body tensed and seethed underneath his rippling bodysuit. "Am I right? Is every flaw of this endeavor my fault then, and as an honorable soul I should justly correct it? Or, are you some scared, little child who just made a terrible mistake, pissed the sheets if you will, and is looking for a quick way to bury them?

The Raikage let out an animalistic snarl and charged blindly towards Hiketsu, driving his fist deep into the man in black's chest. The accompanied cacophony of crunching bone and tearing cartilage gave the Raikage a deep feeling of satisfaction. The frustration of this entire affair seemed to be lodged in that single punch, and the weights that were strapped to his chest seemed to fall away quickly. Yet Hiketsu made no motion to dodge, merely taking the blow into his chest, his body snapping and convulsing under the sheer impact. The Raikage forced Hiketsu against the opposite wall with such force the stone cracked underneath his body. A small sliver of dark, crimson blood dribbled from the corner of Hiketsu's mouth, slowly forming a river to his chin to drip slowly towards the ground. Yet his expression remained the same, cold, placated, like the Raikage was beating on a corpse. "How…DARE YOU," roared the Raikage, "You mock me? I have sacrificed more than anyone for the sake of this plan's completion! I have given you everything you've asked for and more! And now I ask for a simple request and you ridicule me like a spoiled child? I am the Raikage of the Hidden Cloud! The most powerful ninja in this village, and I will not be insulted by some emaciated, pale skeleton! It doesn't matter what caused that psychotic monster's mental downfall; I just want it fixed!" Hot fury was pumping through the Raikage's veins like a river of fire, his breath coming out like steam through his clenched teeth. He hadn't felt this wonderfully tremendous rage in some time. The feeling of anger pulsating through every cell in his body; his muscles tensing and flexing, stretching and preparing for any combat. Justifiable anger, the greatest feeling in the world. Even the frozen chill Hiketsu emanated could not compare to it. He hadn't felt this way for sometime. The last time was his battle against the Seventh, when he reclaimed the title and pride of the Hidden Cloud, vowing to resurrect them from the grave the Seventh had put them in. And now, ten years later, he felt that same exploding fury again, directed now towards a man he knew little about and cared little for. But things would be different this time around. He would MAKE Hiketsu change Set. 'Those little cretins will be maintained, one way or-"

The Raikage's eyes only saw a shadowy blur as Hiketsu's arm cut through the air, his hand outstretching over the Raikage's face. Suddenly, a shockwave of icy cold pain shot through every fiber of his body like frozen lightning dancing inside his veins. The Raikage dropped to his knees, the pain overwhelming his senses and consuming his every thought. His body convulsed and bent as the pain amplified moving deeper into his chest, like icy swords were stabbing him on all sides. "It is unwise to threaten me," said Hiketsu serenely, "I am not your enemy Gisei. I am your ally, and as your ally I have supplied you with all the necessary equipment to restart our war. However even you should have realized that nothing can be gained without sacrifice. It is the quintessential rule of this world. But I am not without a heart." Hiketsu removed his hand from the Raikage's face, seeming to take the pain with him as the Raikage collapsed to the floor coughing loudly as blood slowly rose in his throat. "If you want me to adjust Set and Julius' respective mental behaviors, I need you to do something for me." The Raikage tried with all his strength to push himself back to his feet, but his entire body felt drained, almost devoid of any chakra at all.

"W…What," whispered the Raikage, the word stumbling from his mouth as even speaking seemed too difficult a task.

"Listen very carefully," said Hiketsu, bending his knees slowly towards the floor. He placed a cold hand under the Raikage's chin and lifted his head up so that the Raikage could stare into those emotionless orbs in his face. "Contact Orochimaru before the third examination. Meet someplace private where you and any witnesses you desire will not be disturbed. There, you will form a binding alliance with the Hidden Sound. Orochimaru has important information on the Leaf to help you in your conquest along with invaluable information on my enemies. Meet any demands he has and give him the feeling of control over the contract. Afterwards, you two may begin the war on the Leaf at your discretion."

"Oro…chimaru cannot be trusted," groaned the Raikage, feeling slowly beginning to reenter his body, "he's a traitorous snake. The only," the Raikage paused, feeling his throat swell with air as he coughed loudly, blood staining the back of his teeth, "the only reason I wanted him here was to see if the Uchiha was a threat and destroy him if necessary and to use him as a scapegoat"

"The Uchiha should not concern you," replied Hiketsu, allowing the Raikage's face to slip from his fingers, "an alliance would ensure him under your banner and such would be mutually beneficial to both of us. And a scapegoat will not be necessary. So," Hiketsu rose back to his feet, staring down at the prone Raikage, "do I have your support on my decision?"

The Raikage struggled back to his base, forcing his arms to push hard against the stone floor while his legs fought against gravity to keep balance. "If I do this," said the Raikage between haggard breaths, "you will fix both of them? You will give me complete control over them?"

"I will do what is necessary. But don't forget, I need Set intact. He's more important than you realize."

"Fine," said the Raikage quickly, "I will form an alliance with Orochimaru. Just get Set and Julius under my complete control; they are too important to leave in their current states."

Hiketsu nodded slightly at the Raikage before turning away but stopped short of exiting. "Orochimaru is a powerful nin," Hiketsu continued, "with his arms back to full health, I dare say he is much more powerful than you. It would be unwise to have him as your enemy with so many coming at you from all sides. Just a thought." And with that, Hiketsu left the room, leaving the Raikage to contemplate how horrid this deal was becoming.

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Naruto slowly forced his bleary eyes awake, the white overhead lights stinging at his eyes painfully. He squinted at them, but refused to close his eyes as they adjusted themselves to the light. He quickly sat up on his haunches, cracking the joints of his body one at a time with a loud pop. 'How long have I been asleep,' he thought. He stared up at the clock to see a few hours had passed. It was nearly 3:00 in the morning, only nine more hours until the next part of the Chuunin exam. He finally focused his eyes back on the horribly white room to find it completely empty, only the loud humming of the overhead lights broke the silence. Gai was nowhere to be seen, nor were any nurses or doctors. Naruto placed his feet against the ground and forced himself up, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously. He was in a horrible mood, but this silence only made him feel more alone.

Loneliness, it had been biting at him for some time now, ever since Kakashi-sensei had disbanded team 7 and Naruto was placed in Gai's care. He always felt out of place here, with Lee and TenTen. Gai always tried his best to make him feel welcome, training him separately, trying as hard as possible (probably too hard at times) to mentor him as best he could. Still, this team did not have the same feeling as team 7. Sakura, Kakashi…Sasuke, back then he felt like he had a real family. Brothers, sisters, mentors and father figures, everything seemed complete in his own little world. But since Sasuke left, the loneliness he felt throughout his childhood had become an unwelcome guest inside of him. Like he was not part of this fire, but only sharing in the warmth that came from these people. Still, his new comrades were precious to him, and he would protect them at all costs.

Naruto defiantly pushed open the double doors leading back into the emergency room. All of the lights were out, leaving the open window as the only illumination. The cacophony of the machines still played their rhythmic tones around where TenTen lay silently. However, a rhythmic grunting had joined in as Lee had created a makeshift pull-up bar out of a long broom and two cabinets. A large puddle of sweat lay underneath him, large enough to reflect the moon that shone through the outside window. It felt surprisingly cold in this room, despite the warmth from the rest of the building. Naruto watched Lee move for a few moments before making himself known.

"My shift now Lee," said Naruto defiantly, "your turn to take the nap."

"I'm grunt fine," strained Lee's voice as he pulled himself up with every last vestige of his strength, "I could grrrro on all nnnnight!" Naruto growled in frustration.

"We agreed we'd take shifts," yelled Naruto, before quieting his voice down quickly. TenTen groaned slightly but did not awaken or move. Naruto let out a sigh of relief and began whispering hard at Lee. "It's my shift now, so go. Get some rest, or eat, or do something else."

"But Naruto," said Lee, his voice equally defiant, "I am a great Azure Beast. I could take the shifts of a hundred men. I must prove that the Azure Beast is without fatigue." Naruto felt a wicked urge to tape Lee's mouth shut, but another idea quickly entered his mind.

"Okay," said Naruto deviously, "but I remember Gai-sensei's 'words of wisdom'," he said this last part with much force effort, imitating Lee as best he could, "that a true Azure Beast needs rest to attack the day um…passionately." Lee dropped to the floor, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Gai-sensei has mentioned the great benefits of a most beautiful slumber," queried Lee, "very well, I shall take a short respite, even if I don't require one." Naruto allowed a wry grin to slide across his face as Lee passed him. He quickly wiped the smile from his face and grabbed Lee's bodysuit.

"Hey," asked Naruto, "she hasn't…woken up or anything has she?"

Lee shook his head. "No, and I see no reason to awaken her. She needs her rest more than anyone. Do not fret though," said Lee cheerily, "Gai-sensei says that she will make a full recovery, and Gai-sensei has not broken a promise yet." Naruto smiled weakly at Lee as Lee pushed open the double-doors and strode outside. Naruto inhaled deeply, trying to relax his body, but only received a foul, pungent odor that burnt his nostrils with a fierce fire.

"Oh, dammit Lee," groaned Naruto under his breath, "doesn't he ever wash that stupid green suit." Naruto covered his nose with both hands, but the stench still came on strong, attacking every sense in Naruto's body. "Gahh, it's like a living thing." Naruto's eyes darted quickly across the black room for a fan, a vent, ANYTHING to get rid of the horrible smell. Finally, he eyed the window. The room was still cold, but nothing else was available. He rushed over to the window and quickly unlocked the hinges. He pulled it open just a crack and stuck his hand out into the cool, night air. There was little wind outside at this time, and the air felt particularly warm, which confused Naruto completely considering the bitter cold in the room. Naruto left the window open at its current height, his mind refocusing back to the task of scolding Lee for wearing that decrepit bodysuit for so long. He crept back across the room and opened the double doors. "Lee, can you smell that-" Naruto looked across the room, but found no sign of Lee. Suddenly, a loud snore came from his feet. Naruto jumped back as a prone Lee had collapsed in front of the door, snoring loudly. "Yeah," said Naruto sarcastically, "you sure don't need sleep idiot." Naruto kicked Lee to the side, fearful of actually touching him.

Suddenly, the sound rough of wood scraping against wood followed by a slam returned Naruto's attention back into the room. Naruto wheeled around quickly, the double doors sliding back and forth behind him, casting a shadowy figure in staccato beams of light. However, Naruto did not need light to know who was in the room with him, his eyes gave him away as they glowed red in the darkness, illuminating the room in an eerie crimson glow.

"What the hell are you doing here," Naruto growled furiously. Set's eyes gazed at Naruto for a moment before returning to the bed where TenTen lay. He gazed deeply at her prone figure, seeming to drink up the scene itself as he poked the tip of his lips with his long tongue.

"How dare they throw a tarp over something so beautifully transformed," spat Set, "This was supposed to be the prologue to a greater piece, and they cover it like some common filth. How can they truly appreciate-"

"Get away from her!" roared Naruto. Set's eyes moved slowly back towards Naruto, his bright red meeting his cerulean blue. "You're going out the same way you came in bastard." Naruto stormed towards Set, cracking the knuckles of his fists loudly as he did. Just as Naruto was a few steps from him, his hand shot out in a wide blur in the darkness and pressed something delicately against TenTen's neck, barely touching the edge of her skin. Naruto stopped cold, a small blade glinting in the darkness, almost like a scalpel. "Don't you dare," Naruto threatened. Set smiled sardonically at him.

"Or what?" he asked mockingly. Naruto snarled hard in reply, but could not answer him. Why was he here? Set had been a constant pest since he had come to Hidden Cloud, but now he was threatening a girl that had nothing to do with him. Why? Just to get to him? What did he want? He remembered Set saying he 'marked him for death'. Was this some kind of challenge? Whatever it was, he wasn't going to let some red, artsy-fartsy bastard hurt his friends.

"Listen here Set," said Naruto, his voice cracking under the horrible strain of trying to control his anger, "since we're on a first name basis, let me make something clear to you. I don't know what you want, and I don't care. If you want a fight, then stop being a coward and let's go settle this like real men. But I won't take this kind of crap from some punk who thinks he can threaten my friends. I'll take you down just like everyone else, because I've got better things to do than deal with some cowardly prick who thinks he can do what he wants." Naruto didn't think he had ever seen someone so offended in his entire life and his brain quickly panicked at the results of his outburst. Set's face contorted in a wicked snarl, his body trembling as the glinting metal brushed against the skin of TenTen's neck, grazing the skin just enough for a small droplet of blood to appear there.

"I…am…not a second stage actor," whispered Set, his voice coming out very forced and strained, "I am an artist of the highest caliber. And you will be unleashed for my work." His eyes snapped back towards TenTen as her eyes fluttered awake. A broad and satisfied smile grew across Set's face as he watched her awake. "And this is the beginning of it. Here we see if you are really worth the trouble Naruto. Time to wake up and see…" TenTen's eyes locked with Set's as he stared down at her, his eyes wide "…what a gift I have given you." Naruto stepped slightly forward as Set withdrew his arm from TenTen's neck. He was about to charge forward when the cacophony of the machines began to speed up gradually, the beeping, whirring, and buzzing turning faster and faster; the incessant noises growing louder by the second. Naruto's eyes moved towards TenTen's face. Even in the darkness, Naruto could recognize the look of pure terror on her face. Her breathing grew louder and desperate. She shook her head violently from side to side, but the rest of her body refused to budge. "Terror is such a thrilling emotion," whispered Set, "isn't it, 'The Message'?"

Naruto's entire face suddenly dropped as the pieces inside of his mind came together in a single instant.

_Wounds of the flesh, they dig not so deep._

"You…" Naruto stammered, "you did this to her. You…you're the one that hurt her, that put her here…you…you…"

"Was there ever any doubt," asked Set, "this is obviously the work of a master artist. Or perhaps you did not see enough. I should unveil it for your eyes to-"

Naruto didn't give Set a chance to finish but rammed his entire body into Set's in one giant leap, throwing himself across the bed and into Set's chest. The collision forced Set backwards, their combined bodies hitting hard against the window and shattering it as the wall collapsed against their weight. Set could not keep his footing as they both tumbled out of the tower towards the ground below. The wind hit Naruto with frigid slap, but he didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore. He knew his target; a foe was in front of him; and his mind locked on a single thought, to cause this man as much pain as possible.

Naruto roared like an animal as they careened through the air, Naruto clasping Set from the front. He drew back his hand and smashed Set in the face with a strong right, his knuckles cracking hard against Set's face. Naruto felt an immense wave of satisfaction flow through him as he pulled the same hand towards his shoulder and hit Set again with a massive backhand. Blood spewed from Set's mouth, but his expression remained the same. A broad grin was drawn across his face, a very smug and satisfied smile. Naruto pulled his arm back again, readying another blow, but Set caught his hand midway. "Not yet," he said. He pulled hard on Naruto's arm, sending the two into a spiral. Set released Naruto's hand and pulled his legs up to his chest. Just as he reached the highest point of the spiral, he kicked out hard into Naruto's stomach, sending Naruto towards the ground. Naruto flailed through the air as Set waved to him mockingly. Suddenly, black slivers tore through his back in a mad flurry and broke into the granite stone of the tower, shooting sparks against the side as they slowed Set's descent. Naruto roared defiantly at him just as his body smacked hard against the cold snow. The snow was deep, and Naruto fell through the entire drift, leaving his body's imprint nearly four feet into it.

Naruto's entire body felt rocked with pain, his head pounded against his eyes, which saw only stars and blurred shapes. The screeching of sharp metal grinding against stone grew louder, and then suddenly stopped to be replaced by the footsteps of someone crunching deep snow. Naruto slowly sat up, his body protesting fervently against every movement. His eyes were still blurry, but a red shape he could only think was Set, had his back turned to him. The dark slivers that had shot out of his back before were now returning beneath his skin through the open wounds they made, crawling like large worms back underneath him. As soon as the last of their outlines were gone, the wounds resealed themselves in seconds, leaving only gaping holes in Set's already tattered clothing. The pain in his body slowly felt overwhelmed by the vehement rage he was feeling. 'That bastard,' thought Naruto, bringing himself to all fours and pushing himself steadily to his feet, 'TenTen never did anything to him. What did she do to deserve this?' "I'm going to crush every bone in your lanky body you son of a bitch!" Set's face became clear as he stared with a look of slight amusement on his facade.

"Here," asked Set in mock umbrage, "with no audience to appreciate it? No, this will not be like last time. I have no intention of fighting you in the open again, at least not yet. It does not suit my purposes. I have something much more interesting in mind this time." Set continued to talk, but Naruto's ears had shut themselves to him. Every emotion bottled within him, bubbled and burned inside of him like a cauldron set too hot and too full. Every frustration, every annoyance, every fiery blast of rage to the tiniest sliver of irritation was burning together in one gigantic blaze.

Naruto roared furiously, his voice echoing across the canyon like the warcry of a great army. He sprang forward at Set, his hands tearing through the air, eager to pierce deep into Set and rip his carcass to shreds. Set's eyes widened in surprise at Naruto's sudden charge forward. Set quickly backpeddled across the snow, but Naruto's speed was too sudden, taking Set off guard. Naruto swiped forward, looking to slash deep into Set's chest, but he flipped quickly back, Naruto's fingernails only scratching his skin. Set sailed through the air, landing gracefully on his feet several meters from Naruto, spattered droplets of blood tracing his path through the air to dot the snow. Set looked down at his chest, four slivers of blood flowing freely to slide down the remains of his bodysuit. Naruto watched as the blood began to clot and heal over the wounds in a matter of seconds, leaving Set's skin scarless.

"Always charging in like a bull," said Set, chuckling under his breath, "letting your rage consume you. We are so very much alike. I do hope she was well received. It was pure ecstasy working with such a strong spirit, but the thing about strong spirits is when they crack, the sound is a symphony to those attuned to it. But if you want revenge that badly-" Naruto sprang forward again, his body flipping end over end so that his arms were brought down in a wide slashing motion that missed Set by mere centimeters as his foe quickly jumped backwards, his eyes never leaving Naruto's face. "-you're going to have to catch me." And with a gleaming smile, Set turned on his heel and ran full tilt away from Naruto, towards an opening in the canyon that led to a wide brim of darkness.

"YOU COWARD!" roared Naruto, "GET BACK HERE AND TAKE WHAT'S COMING TO YOU!" Naruto didn't know why Set was running. He could have been leading him into a trap, and ambush of some kind. But he didn't care. A single goal had entwined itself in Naruto's mind. He didn't just want to kill Set. He wanted to hurt him. He wanted him to suffer just as he was sure TenTen suffered at Set's hands. He didn't know why he felt this; he barely even realized it, but his legs seemed to be working of their own accord know, and they pumped furiously after Set, chasing him into the deep, black darkness of the night.

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Lee's eyes slowly fluttered awake, his body racked with soreness in every limb. He slowly pushed himself off the cold, tile floor and got back to his feet. 'Sleeping,' thought Lee in an aggravated tone, 'how disappointed Gai-sensei would be if he saw me sleeping on the floor rather than training for the next day.' Suddenly, a loud roar came from the room behind him followed quickly by the loud shattering of glass. Lee burst through the double doors behind him to witness what had looked like a passing storm cut through the room. The far wall where a window was once before now only held a gaping hole beside it, pieces of debris and shattered glass scattered across the floor. "TenTen," yelled Lee, rushing over to her side. TenTen's face was aghast with fear, and her breathing sounded horribly forced and constrained, like she was being choked by an invisible force. "TenTen, are you alright." TenTen struggled to say something, her mouth trying to form words.

"Na…na…"

"Naruto," yelled Lee. TenTen nodded painfully in acknowledgment. Lee rushed over to the gaping wound in the wall's side, but could not see anything past a few floors. The double doors burst open again, and the doctor of the hospital came striding in.

"What the hell is," he took one look at the wall and his face turned ghastly white. "HOLY SHIT! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED HERE?"

"I must find him," said Lee. His first impulse was to run to Gai-sensei for assistance, but thought better of it. 'Gai-sensei will not be able to help.' Lee ran past the doctor out back towards the double doors.

"Wait a second," yelled the doctor, "what the hell happened here. Somebody better have a damn good explanation for this! I'm not insured!"

"Please watch after her," yelled Lee, kicking the door to the hallway aside and sprinting towards the stairwell.

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Snow and darkness blanketed a gigantic field, the wind whipping wildly around Naruto as he strode into the middle of it, his anger driving himself farther and farther into the night. "SHOW YOURSELF COWARD," roared Naruto, but only his echo answered him back. Naruto stopped for a moment, panting loudly. His breath came out in a steam so hot it seemed to melt the deep snow that reached up to his shins.

He had been chasing Set for hours, but lost sight of him since he moved out into the open. He followed him through a small chasm in the canyon into this endless plain of snow. Without the defense of the rocky wall around him, the wind was free to pound his body with endless blasts of ice and snow, raining down on him like the weather itself had turned against him. Naruto punched the snow hard in frustration, leaving a deep imprint. He craned his head upwards. The plain had changed into a slight incline that Naruto had been climbing for some time. Normally, his body would have felt fatigued from such a long journey, but even the thought of tire did not enter his mind. His entire body quaked in a furious, vengeful ire. He shook his head madly, the snow piling on it dropping back to the earth to join its brethren. "I won't let him get away," said Naruto through clenched teeth, "not after what he did. No one hurts those precious to me." In a single motion, Naruto jumped forward, using his momentum to drive himself up the hill, trudging through the deep snow beneath him. 'I can feel him' thought Naruto, 'I can almost taste him.'

Naruto continued running, the snow piling ever steadier on top of him as the cold wind turned his breath to frost in the air. He ran for miles, his blonde hair thick with ice, and body beginning to succumb to the cold weather. 'Did he lead me out here to die,' thought Naruto for a moment, his spirit waining slightly, but the thought of TenTen's pale face in the hospital seemed to reinvigorate him. 'I won't die here. I'll make that bastard pay for what he's done.'

Suddenly, as if it appeared from the darkness itself, a silhouette of a large structure hung out amidst the frost. It loomed overhead; looking like it was ready to collapse on top of him. Naruto ran harder towards it, desperate for any temporary shelter before he returned to his search. A gigantic opening where a pair of massive double-doors once stood appeared in front of him. Naruto ran inside, the wind howling loudly against the opening. It was pitch black inside, and Naruto could see no sign of Set, though the cold feeling still haunted him. He rubbed his hands quickly against his body, desperately trying to warm up again, stumbling over objects he could not see as he moved forward. He pulled his hands away from himself and began pawing blindly for a wall. His fingers finally touched against cold stone as he slid against it, looking for a switch, opening, or any source of light. Finally, his fingers slid against an odd bump in the wall; an outward groove that seemed to move at Naruto's touch. He grasped his hand around it and pushed hard against it, finally hearing it click into place. The room came alive in a brilliant display of white light only for it to die to a dull, shadowy dim as glass from long tubes shattered loudly overhead to snap against the stone floor.

The room looked ancient. Tiled stone had been pulled from the floor, revealing dirty concrete beneath it. Metal debris, broken glass, and crushed stone lay scattered across the floor. Naruto could not take a step without something breaking underfoot. Long, black cables hung overhead, some dangling precariously close to the floor as they popped, and hissed with sparks. The walls were a moldy green, but were littered with worn images of seals, the paint long since chipped away to reveal the red, rotten brick beneath it. The air was musky, filled with the scent of mildew and mold, but there were no other signs of life. Naruto searched the room, glad to finally have some source of light.

Suddenly, the sound of faint laughter echoed behind him. Naruto whirled his body around searching frantically for the source. Behind him, another door had appeared, light trickling through the entranceway into a long corridor. Naruto stepped cautiously forward as his senses scanned the area for any signs of Set.

Naruto walked deeper into the complex the hallway barely illuminated in the darkness. This room was much like the entrance hall, same dilapidated tile floors and wall, more prominent seals on the moldy, green walls. However, large glass structures lined against the wall, like clear prisons, each one etched with black letters worn against time. Naruto stepped closer to one, examing the black lettering etched to it. "Sagara Misotoku," Naruto read aloud, "Failure." His head looked over to the next as well. "Tsunama Yasharan, Failure." Name after name with the same stamp of 'failure' placed over the cell. Naruto continued down, the light slowly growing dimmer. He groped blindly against another wall, hoping for the same luck he had in the first room. Finally, the same outward groove reached his hands and he depressed it, hoping for the same luck. The room shot alive with a click, rows and rows of handing, overhead lights came to life in pairs revealing a cavernous complex of glass and stone, rays of white-light rainbowing through shards of ancient glass caked with dirt. "I know you're here," roared Naruto, "come out and fight!" His voice echoed off the walls, the first sound heard here in the gods know how long.

"No more games," said Naruto, looking past this complex into the next. The building stretched into one long hallway, with lights flicking to life as soon as Naruto passed them. The rooms continued on, more glass and stone broken and beaten. It was soon however, that Naruto began to see the last vestiges of people. Corpses filled the glass prisons as he moved forward, some of the surfaces scratched from the inside as the occupant seemed to madly claw their way out, but Naruto did not turn to look. He kept his mind focused, staring ahead into the next darkened room, lit to life to reveal another grisly scene. He pressed on, past the skeletons clothed in a ragged garb, past the broken and undisturbed bodies of a gruesome panorama. The ancient floor soon became a mosaic of dried blood that cracked with ever step he took, sticking sickly to the soles of his shoes. Naruto did not care. Moving ever forward only to see another scene more macabre that the last, he paid it no heed. A trail had formed on the floor now that Naruto felt compelled to follow, feeling the omniscient hand still wrapped tightly around his spine. The feeling intensified with every step, bringing Naruto closer and closer to him. Finally, he came to a massive, iron door that blocked his path. The path of blood led under it, and a bright light seemed to shoot out through every crack and rusted panel of it. Naruto pushed hard against it, and found himself face to face with the most horrifying display he had ever seen.

Corpses upon corpses were strung tightly to the walls. Some were skeletons like the ones in the earlier scenes, while others looked only a few days old, their faces baring the same look of horrific fear that Naruto had seen on TenTen's face earlier. They hung on the walls bearing the same pose, arms open wide, like they were ready to receive a final embrace. And in the middle of it all, on a pile of discarded and rotting bone and viscera, sat Set, smiling glibly at him.

At first, neither of them said anything. Naruto could only hear the raspy sound of his own breath coming in and out of his mouth hard and fast. Set's eyes looked over him for a moment, studying him like a rare oddity that had stumbled in his domain. He licked his lips delicately with the very tip of his tongue, keeping the majority of it hidden inside his mouth.

"So you've come," said Set, his voice breaking the silence in a soft echo, "you truly must hate me to follow across such harsh terrain. But I can see that in your eyes. Such a deep, cerulean blue usually, but with a hint of maroon, almost crimson color to them this time. Well then, haven't you come here to extract righteous justice upon me?" Set chuckled slightly at the end of this phrase, but Naruto did not respond. The image of TenTen's horrified face was still fresh in his mind and every impulse in his body was demanding he tear into the man and rip him limb from limb until there was nothing left to recognize, but Naruto held back. He knew that for whatever strange reason, this man wanted him angry. He didn't know why, or what he was planning to accomplish, but he wouldn't play his game. He would deal with him like all the rest. Naruto inhaled one deep breath, the pungent stench of decay and death hitting him hard, before allowing it to slowly come out his mouth.

"I came here for my friends," said Naruto defiantly, "I'm going to make you pay for hurting them." His eyes trailed to the corpses strung horribly to the walls, his resolve strengthening at the sight of them, "and for everyone you ever hurt. I want everybody to realize that you're nothing to fear. You're just some punk that thinks he can get away with anything, and I'm going to prove you wrong!" Set glared motionless at him for a moment, still leaning against the massive, rotting pile of viscera behind him. His face remained blank, but something began to tug at the corners of his mouth. A slow smile formed across his face, and a silent chuckle welled up in his throat, shaking his body. This chuckle soon turned into a malicious laugh that escaped wildly his gaping maw only to transform into an insane cackle that echoed so hard across the walls the room seemed to shake under its pressure.

"You're so naïve Naruto," said Set, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes as his laughter subsided, "You can't see past the blood, bone, and bile that makes up a human. I don't 'hurt' anyone; I transform them from something mundane into an exquisite masterpiece. These pieces you see surrounding you," he said, motioning to the ornate body decorations around them, "inspire the only true emotions in people. Anger and sorro, raw passion in its purest form. Life is blasphemous Naruto, but in death, at least these souls can serve some greater purpose. But enough talk. We'll have to schedule some other time for a cozy, fireside chat concerning my motif. You came to bring me in? Well, here I am." Set rose from his throne and took position in front of Naruto, his legs spread out, one in front of the other in an awkward stance.

Naruto did not waste a second. Before Set could make another move, he had already crossed his fingers in a familiar seal in front of him. "Kage Bunshin no jutsu," he yelled as dozens of shadow clones appeared in puffs of smoke, surrounding Set completely. Set's eyes widened in surprise, and Naruto knew he had caught him off guard. He immediately charged forward as the other clones mimicked him exactly, giving a resounding battle cry as they collapsed upon their target. One clone charged in, giving a hard right hand towards Set's face. Set turned toward the clone and raised his arm in a crook, blocking the shot with his forearm, but not before another clone came in on his left, looking to deliver a sweeping kick to his chin. Set's eyes caught the motion, and he grabbed the clone by the ankle in mid swing, still keeping his other arm up to block the push from the other clone. Another clone came in front behind, looking to deliver a hard knee to the back of his head only to receive a backwards kick from Set, the clone disappearing in a puff of smoke. Another clone replaced that one, grabbing Set's leg in mid kick and forcing himself to balance on a single leg. Naruto saw his opportunity. The clones parted away as Naruto charged in, sliding in across his back and kicking Set's last leg out from under him. Set's body flailed widly in the air as the clones grabbed their respective limbs and hoisted him in the air. Naruto kipped back quickly to his feet and jumped into the air, delivering a massive punch to Set's prone back that drove him back down towards the earth with a resounding crash. Naruto did not hesitate a second, but grasped Set by the tattered remains of his clothing and tossed quickly through the air towards another gang of clones. The clones quickly slid underneath him, putting their bodies' weight on their shoulder blades as Set flew over them. In a flash, their legs kicked out hard burying the soles of their feet into Set's back with a satisfying crack sending him towards the ceiling. The clones quickly kipped to their feet and placed their hands together, palms up waiting for Naruto to finish the maneuver. Naruto grinned as he rushed over towards them, jumping towards the center and placing the heel of his foot in the center of their hands. The clones pushed Naruto skyward with all their might as they sent him soaring through the air directly beneath Set. Naruto snapped his legs together as he reared back his right hand, scrunching his hand together in a tight fist. "Naruto Rising Punch," he yelled as he snapped his arm forward and rammed his fist into the center of Set's back. Set gave a loud, gurgled wheeze as the air escaped his lungs followed by a stream of blood, the impact of the shot almost breaking his body in two. The impact sent Set further up, but Naruto clenched the back of Set's bodysuit and followed his route skyward. Just as they reached the apex of their ascent, Naruto let go with his left arm and pulled hard with his right, flipping him around Set's body in a wide arc. "Naruto Senpuu," he roared as he flipped himself around in a tight semicircle before snapping his leg out and bringing it across the bridge of Set's nose. Naruto was rewarded with another crack of bone and loud painful yell from Set as the impact sent Set's head towards the floor. Gravity had won out over them and they were beginning to pick up speed in their descent. Naruto quickly grabbed Set's ankles and positioned himself directly above him, tucking his knees hard into his chest. He slammed his own feet into the bottom of Set's boots. "It's not over yet," snapped Naruto as he flowed chakra from his own feet into the bottom of Set's boots, locking the two together. The wind was whipping around them in a torrent now as the clones scattered away from underneath them. Naruto released his grip on Set's ankles and snapped his waist hard to the right, sending the two in a fast spin. "Naruto Renge," he roared as the spin went faster and faster, Set's feet glued to Naruto's as he spun like a hurricane towards the ground. In an instant, Naruto released Set's feet and jumped quickly away just as Set impacted head first in the ground with such force the floor shook like an earthquake underneath them kicking dust and debris high into the air with a resounding shockwave. Naruto fell towards the earth only to be intercepted by another gang of clones that caught him in his descent. The clones helped Naruto to his feet as he surveyed the damage. A very wry grin shot across his face as for the first time in a long while, he was happy Gai was his sensei.

Slowly, the dust and debris settled across the room revealing a smoldering crater where the ancient floor had broken beneath Set's body. 'That got him', thought Naruto, 'that was for TenTen-'. Naruto thoughts quickly cut off as the debris began to move. Naruto's eyes widened in shock as Set shakily got to his feet. Whatever had remained of the torso of his bodysuit was now stripped away leaving his upper body completely bare. His right arm was off kilt, and it took a moment to realize the impact had completely dislocated Set's shoulder, the arm dangling sickly at the joint. Gravel and debris had imbedded itself under the back of Set's pale skin, along with the dirt and debris that clung to his back. Slowly he turned to face Naruto, the same wry smile still plastered to his face. Blood flowed freely from the corners of his mouth and nose, while his smile revealed a few teeth had been knocked free in the impact. However, the most striking feature on him was a gigantic black design of swirls, kanjis, and connecting lines that covered the entire center of his chest and snaked up to his shoulders. The designs looked almost like seals, but they were very foreign, like nothing Naruto had ever seen before.

"Kage Bunshin," came Set's voice, raspy from the impact, "The creation of actual bodies by splitting the total amount of chakra in the body evenly. Jounin level, very impressive. I don't know anyone save the Raikage and a few Jounin who can even do that." He laughed feebly, his voice still soft and broken.

"It's my specialty," replied Naruto coolly, "This fight is over. You're beaten. You can either come with me, or I can break the rest of your limbs and drag you back. Either way's fine with me. Actually, I'd prefer the last choice."

Set's normally loud cackle came out like a sickly caw as he threw his head back in amusement, his right arm flailing wildly as he did so. "You're just…" the harshness had completely left his voice as it became smooth and malicious once again, "…full…" His right arm popped and cracked loudly as the muscle pulled itself back together, the ligaments bundling and reforming under the skin as Set flexed the arm naturally, like it had never been hurt at all, "…of…" The rocks slowly fell from behind him, the skin seeming to push them out and reform perfectly without a single blemish. Set pulled his lips down as Naruto watched white spears pierce the gum line of Set's mouth to reform new fangs in place of the old ones, "…surprises." Set sniffed loudly as the blood returned into his nostrils and back into his mouth, leaving him completely without scar or blemish, almost like the fight had never begun.

Naruto snorted in frustration, still holding onto the original jutsu as the clones formed another tight circle around Set. Set's body relaxed itself as he brought his hands around to his front. Naruto hesitated, keeping the clones and himself on their haunches. "Jutsu," said Naruto aloud. He reached behind his back and pulled out a single kunai, clutching it tightly in front of him in his right hand. The clones imitated him perfectly, each one pulling a kunai from behind their backs before snapping their arms forward in a loud swish of metal cutting through air. Set continued to bring his hands forward, clutching them together before cracking his knuckles idly. Naruto cocked his head oddly at Set as he allowed his hands to fall back to his sides. "Were you expecting something," asked Set sardonically, "you almost look disappointed." Set's eyes stared bullets into Naruto's own before he returned his gaze back to his own hands, brining them slightly in front of himself again. "I see," replied Set lazily, "you must think I'm preparing some type of devastating jutsu. Well, truth be told, I'm more of an artist than a ninja. You see Naruto, I can't do a single jutsu." Naruto stared at Set, more confused now than before.

"Liar," snapped Naruto, "you're just trying to trick me."

"Why would I lie," replied Set in a mocking tone, "I've never done a single jutsu in my entire life. No genjutsu, no ninjutsu, no bunshins, not even a simple henge no jutsu. I am completely bereft of talent in such deeds." Naruto stopped for a moment, wondering whether or not Set was lying.

'If he was lying,' thought Naruto, 'why hasn't he tried a jutsu yet?' Slowly, a smile crawled across Naruto's face. "I'm glad to hear that," he said aggressively, "that means bringing you down will be that much easier!"

"Just because an artist does not have a commoner's skill, it does not make him any less great, or any less of a god" said Set darkly, "I am an artist of the human body, and instead of learning hand seals and jutsus, I have divined all the secrets that it holds."

"Enough talk," shouted Naruto. Naruto stormed towards Set, the clones following suit in a tremendous battle cry. The clones simultaneously snapped their arms forward, hurtling the deadly kunai at their target. Set bent low at the knees, before snapping them back straight, pushing himself off the ground and back into the air, leaving the kunai to fly through the spot and hit the clones on the other side in a massive crossfire. The popping sound of the clones disappearing filled the otherwise empty void of the room as Set flipped his body vertically so that his feet connected with the ceiling. Set hung idly, looking down on Naruto from above as his feet stuck permanently to the roof above them. He smiled condescendingly as he 'stood', waiting for Naruto to make his next move, tapping his foot impatiently upon the hard stone of the ceiling. Naruto scowled back at him as he looked to his remaining clones. 'Damn,' he thought, 'only a few left. I had them throw the kunai to high. But that's enough.' Naruto allowed the jutsu to release itself as the remaining clones disappeared from around him. 'I want this bastard to myself.' Naruto scraped his foot hard against the ground in a wide arc before charging towards the nearest wall, bowing his head low as he cut quickly through the air. He jumped feet first towards the wall, connecting with it and running up it immediately. His eyes remained affixed to Set as he continued to wait for Naruto to reach him almost nonchalantly. The repugnant stench of death and decay increased as Naruto made his way closer to the ring of corpses that encircled the entire room, the force of his body beginning to rock them out of place. Naruto stomach turned as he jumped over them, cutting through the air and creating a small wind behind him that made swayed them in place. 'That bastard will pay,' thought Naruto, 'for everyone.' Naruto quickened his pace driving himself bodily forward, leaning into the wind that whipped around him. He struck his leg out hard as he reached the roof, the pressure cracking the ancient stone, as he pulled another kunai out from behind him and flung it at Set. Set whipped a single arm out and swatted the kunai away just as Naruto pushed hard and low off the ceiling, torpedoing towards Set like the kunai he had sent beforehand. "Kage Bunshin," he cried as two clones appeared on either side of Set, each one grasping an arm and locking it hard behind his body. Naruto threw back his arm and drove it forward towards Set's face, intent on knocking his prey off the ceiling and back down hard towards the floor. Set fought against his captors, swaying his body hard against them, but the clones held firm as Naruto came closer to Set's position. Suddenly, a sickly cracking sound, like someone was breaking bundles of sticks, shot out from Set. Just as Naruto's hand reached Set's face, Set's entire neck collapsed and reformed itself, bending his head backwards against his shoulder blades as Naruto's fist went wide. Naruto flailed wildly in the air, his arms desperate to catch any sort of grip. He clawed towards Set's head, finally managing to grasp the tips of his hair as he clamped on. Set's neck snapped quickly back into place as Naruto hung onto his adversary by the roots of his hair. Set growled painfully as Naruto smiled a sly grin at him. He rose his legs high and began kicking Set hard in the back of the neck, every shot knocking the air out of Set's lungs in a painful gasp.

Suddenly, Set ripped his entire body forward at the waist, bringing Naruto back towards the ceiling to crash hard against it. The impact rocked Naruto's body as the pain loosened his grip on Set's hair, sending him back towards earth. Naruto turned on his body, watching as Set snapped his arms out of the clones' grasp and proceeded to drive his arms straight through them, both of the clones disappearing in puffs of smoke. Set quickly snapped his head in Naruto's direction, his eyes wide and excited as a malicious smile grew across his face. He crooked his knees down and pushed hard off the ceiling, driving his body straight towards Naruto. Naruto quickly reached behind himself and flung several shurikens whistling towards Set. Set pawed his hands forward, catching the shurikens between his knuckles only to send them hurtling back towards Naruto. Naruto raised his arms to guard himself as the shurikens stuck painfully in his arms. Set came in too fast as Naruto launched a wild punch forward only for Set to catch him by the wrist. Set drew his right arm back, leaving two fingers out on his fist. Naruto struggled with Set for a moment as the ground grew closer, punching Set furiously in the face with his free hand, but Set did not relent. He powered his right arm straight into Naruto, driving his fingers deep under Naruto's breastbone and piercing everything in its path. Naruto could feel Set's fingers probe inside of his stomach, jabbing upwards towards his sternum, and every movement he made sent another jolt of pain rocketing through his body. Naruto clenched desperately around Set's wrist with his free hand pulling hard to remove him, but Set would not relent. Naruto could feel the muscle break and bend as Set repositioned his hand until his fingers pressed against the back of Naruto's sternum. Blood churned in the wound in Naruto's stomach, but he choked it back down forcefully. Suddenly, Set snapped his body backwards, dragging Naruto painfully with him, rotating his arm hard as his fingers clamped hard inside of Naruto, dragging his entire body with his hand. Set completed the arc as the hit the ground, throwing Naruto headfirst into the floor as they landed with a tremendous crash. Naruto could feel Set remove his hand and give Naruto a quick kick to the stomach, sending him sprawling into the pile of viscera.

Naruto coughed loudly, blood and bile each escaping from his mouth to mix with the enormous pile behind him. The wound in his stomach burned furiously, and his ribs felt like they had been ripped apart, leaving a gaping wound behind shattered bone. But more than that, he could feel his anger begin to well inside of him again, just like from before. The Kyuubi's chakra had begun to slowly course through his veins, but he did not relent like last time. He did not try to hold it back, he allowed it to flow through his veins, rebuilding the muscle, refueling his energy, his drive. 'I can control it,' Naruto thought as the wound in his stomach began to steam and reform, 'this is no different from before. I can draw out the chakra and control it. He has no power over me. I have control over my emotions. I can handle this.' Naruto stood on his feet, wiping miscellaneous bits of bone and gut from his suit. He stared bullets into Set, who seemed even more excited than before, his eyes growing wide and apprehensive, and his Cheshire grin as big as a person's who had just received a particularly special present.

"That's it," cooed Set, "let that beautiful rage out. Don't let anything stand between you and me. Let everything go, no scruples, no remorse, no control, and no chains to bind you. Show me that splendid hate."

'I am in control,' continued Naruto, ignoring Set completely, 'I am in control. I am in control.' Naruto pushed off the ground, plowing across the room so fast the debris followed him in a wild dance as he cut towards Set. He threw back his arm and let loose a quick punch with his right arm, driving it towards Set's face. Set quickly sidestepped to Naruto's right, rounding him on the side and in one quickly motion, clenched Naruto's wrist with his right hand and drove an open-palmed strike straight into Naruto's elbow. The joint broke under the pressure in a wet snap. The jagged bone cut muscle and tendon as it pierced Naruto's arm, blood hitting Naruto's eyes and stinging them. Naruto rolled to the ground, desperately trying to wipe the blood from his eyes as he ground his teeth hard, keeping any screams of pain in his lungs as his entire body lurched against the horrid sensation in his arm. He opened his eyes, wiping them quickly to find Set gone from his sight. In that instant, an arm crooked under Naruto's left, slapping the hand hard against the back of Naruto's neck in a half-nelson as jagged spears seemed to surround and press hard against Naruto's forearm, keeping it in place. Naruto struggled against the grip, flailing and kicking wildly, but his attacker would not relent. Suddenly, Set's arm snapped out past his right side, coming into view as he balled his fingers together save for his thumb and forefinger which he left open. Set's arm paused for a moment as Naruto continued to struggle, the tendons and muscles of Naruto's right arm coming together, but not enough for motion. Set did not waste anymore time, but cut his arm towards Naruto's throat, driving his thumb and forefinger below Naruto's throat between two bone that stuck out on the top of his chest.

Naruto choked hard as Set's fingers probed the inside of his throat. He couldn't breathe, almost like something had blocked his windpipe completely. His lungs struggled hard to take in a much needed breath, but could only gurgle and wretch against an invisible force closing his throat. His chest began to burn as his lungs pleaded desperately for air, but none came. "Humans are such fragile beings," whispered Set, his mouth so close to Naruto's ear the words burned inside of it, "we have no claws, no armor, no poisons or toxins within us, and there are so very many ways to cause us pain. Yet, we are the gods of this world Naruto." He released Naruto from his grasp, removing his arms from his body as Naruto collapsed to the ground, choking loudly for air. "But we are horrid rulers of our realm," continued Set, his voice becoming fervent, almost preacher-like, "our lives are nothing more than rampant destruction, to impose our own will upon others. Ninjas, above all others, understand this. After all, we are made to be weapons, live as weapons, and die as weapons. But I have no intention to be a weapon for anyone save myself." Naruto spun on his back, raising his arms in defense as Set reached his right arm towards the sky. Slowly, the seal on his chest began to glow a blood red, smoking and steaming, the repugnant smell of burning flesh consuming the room. The seal began to spread across his body, moving up his arm in glowing, red streaks, burning the flesh as they moved worm-like across his body. Finally, as the red lines reached his fingertips, they turned a dull black again, leaving his right arm covered in the same swirls and designs on his chest. "It is time you stopped being a tool for them Naruto. It is time you served a higher purpose. It is time to relinquish every restriction, every barrier they have constructed around you, every chain engrained upon you. It is time to throw off your humanity and become MY ART!" Set charged at Naruto, faster than he had ever seen him move before. Naruto rose his hands in defense, looking to block Set, but he flicked his arms away effortlessly and clamped his blackened hand around Naruto's face, his fingers digging so hard they broke the skin. Naruto twisted at Set's wrist, but his hands burned against the black seals as he touched Set's arm, still smoking and reeking with the smell of burning flesh. Naruto felt himself slammed hard against a wall, the impact breaking the iron asunder in gigantic cracks that began to crumple the wall in on itself. Naruto was held in place, Set's grip vice-like on his face, no matter how hard Naruto pulled against his arm. "Let me show you Naruto," exclaimed Set, "a technique a white-haired man taught me some time ago. Though I cannot do a jutsu, I can still channel my chakra into my thoughts and feelings. Let me show you mine Naruto. Gaze upon the artist at his craft!"

Naruto felt the walls begin to melt away in the dank room as darkness engulfed him from all sides. He felt like he was falling through a narrow space headfirst, being pulled by some invisible might as he fell deeper and deeper into the darkness that surrounded him like a rising tide. All of a sudden, the tide stopped, and Naruto found himself climbing a flat cliff. He could feel the chakra flowing through the soles of his feet as he walked slowly up the side of the mountain, his powerful legs skipping effortlessly across the mountain's craggy side. His entire body felt like it was on fire, an immense burning welled up inside of his chest that flowed to every cell of his body. But he was used to this sensation by now. He had conquered it some time ago. Naruto sped up his pace on the mountain slightly, an excited feeling washing over him, almost a childlike anticipation. It had been so long since he'd had a proper pallet to work with and the excitement of working on it filled him with glee. He turned his head towards the small bundle bent across his shoulder. She was still unconscious, but that would have to change. Pain represented one of the most important features of his art, and this piece would have to be especially perfect, if only to lead to something greater. Naruto chuckled softly, his mind racing back to the fight with the blond-haired genin. His rage, the fury and passion he had felt. The pain in his eyes, the purest most raw emotions hidden within someone so plain. His heart beat faster, the mere thought of such an exciting prospect, of finally, the fulfillment of his life's work, made his blood boil.

He took one last step up the mountain, awkwardly placing his foot in front of him and crunching deep snow. The air was quiet here, the night sky clear to show dazzling stars and a brilliant crescent moon. Naruto admired it for a moment before turning his mind back to the task at hand. He walked a ways into the snowy plains, the cool, crisp air chilling his body, sapping the heat from his skin. Naruto gently grabbed the woman by the head and laid her down on her back in the snow. He erected himself to full height as he examined her. She was pretty, but nothing extraordinary. Her hair was a plain brown, wrapped in two buns that sat upon her head, and nothing struck Naruto as particularly interesting, except for her connection. She had seen this woman with his target, but could not fully grasp their connection. Comrade only perhaps? Were they merely friends, or something more than that? Maybe a hidden crush? That would make things easier. Enamored feelings always result in the most primal of furies. Naruto smiled wide, running his long tongue across the rough edges of his lips. "Well then," said Naruto to himself, "I suppose I should get, eh?" She was stirring her body shaking slightly. Naruto leaned down closer to her. He could feel the warmth coming from her body, the hot breath from her lips.

Suddenly, her left arm shot out, a kunai grasped in it, and buried it deep into Naruto's neck. Naruto could felt the metal point scraping against the bone and tissue of his throat, cutting the main artery still pumping blood hard in his excited state. Blood rushed out like a dam had burst in Naruto's neck, spraying the red liquid out across the snow and onto the girl herself in a small hurricane. "How do you like that you son of a bitch!" roared the girl, her eyes wide and her expression defiant. Naruto stumbled backwards, the shock and piercing pain in his neck throbbing through his body, yet this was nothing but a farce. True it hurt, but pain had always been a constant friend to Naruto, and this was nothing he had not felt before. He felt the blood climb up his throat as he expelled it onto the ground, more for show than from actual injury. The girl got to her feet and watched Naruto collapse to the ground in a pompous display, gurgling loudly for effect before he lay still, his eyes still wide and gaping. The girl got shakily to her feet, the arm Naruto had broken earlier still lying limp at her side. She glared at Naruto's prone body for a moment before breathing out a heavy sigh of relief. "You're that guy from the mountain," she said, "or at least you were. No wonder Naruto looked so pissed off. You're psychotic." She looked back towards the edge of the cliff and began walking towards it, her steps crunching loudly against the snow as she walked past Naruto's body.

Naruto quickly shot his arm out, grabbing the surprised girl by the ankle, tripping and flinging her in the other direction as she landed with a soft thud on her back. She quickly kipped to her feet, a look of shock enveloping her face as Naruto slowly rose to his feet. The wound still bled freely, pumping the red liquid in trails that skimmed down his bodysuit to stain the snow below. Naruto gazed at her quizzically, impressed at how well she had played him. He channeled his chakra towards the wound, stimulating the muscles and tissues to begin rebuilding themselves, the arteries closing again and the blood flow quickly stopping. The girl gazed in a fearful awe as the wound disappeared and the blood flowed off Naruto's bodysuit, almost like it had never existed. "How did…," the girl stammered, "you can't…that's impossible!"

"Do you not believe your own eyes," asked Naruto in a voice much deeper and malicious then his own. Naruto smiled wide and licked the tips of his sharp fangs with tongue, pricking at the tip slightly as a small drop of blood appeared at the end of it only for the wound to heal immediately and the blood to disappear. The girl face grew hard again, her expression defiant, but her eyes were still fearful. Naruto could see it, had seen it in so many pieces, and this was no exception.

"I'll just kill you again then," roared the girl, "and again! And every time you get up, I'll bring you right back down until you stop getting up! I won't let you live!"

"Your eyes say otherwise child," mocked Naruto, his voice turning very smooth and venomous, "I can see that last glimmer of hope you had, that luminescent sparkle, vanish like a tear drop. You know your fate already, but you deny it so fervently. You aren't the first, and you won't be the last. But by all means struggle. When the piece is complete and the spirit finally breaks, a stronger spirit will leave a much more lasting impression upon the canvas."

"Screw you!"

"How vulgar. I really don't know what he sees in you. But then again, we all have our tastes." Naruto walked towards her slowly, every step he took equaling one step backwards for the girl. She hurtled the kunai towards Naruto who slapped it away quickly, not breaking his pace forward. She reached behind herself again and began throwing shuriken, kunai, anything and everything she had available screaming in the air towards Naruto. He blocked some, allowed some to hit his body only for the pulsating wounds to push the objects out and heal immediately, never breaking his stride as he moved closer and closer. She was growing more desperate. It was crystal clear on her face, the sweat beading down her forehead, the tears she fought desperately from dripping down her face, the quivering of her lips and limbs. She was no different from the others. Beautiful fear was overwhelming her strong spirit, like a tidal tsunami overshadowing and sweeping a vast city away. Her arm reached behind her again, but found nothing there. Her breathing grew more erratic; Naruto could hear the rhythm of her heart move faster and faster, allegro, a sweet and fast symphony, ecstasy for those privileged enough to hear it.

Naruto quickened his pace, his own blood beginning to boil and flow in anticipation. The girl backpedaled faster and faster before turning her back on Naruto and moving in an all out sprint. Naruto grew impatient, picking up his own pace and overwhelming her in seconds. He reached out and grabbed her by the back of her neck, thrusting her bodily into the air. She choked loudly as Naruto slammed her hard backwards, keeping her on her back on the snow. He repositioned himself over her as she struggled hard against his grasp, flailing hard and kicking, punching, and biting Naruto as hard as she possibly could. Desperation was always an interesting phase to watch, but it was unnecessary for this piece. Naruto slammed his free hand hard across her chest, knocking the wind out of her lungs in a hard gasp. He spread his fingers across, channeling his chakra into his hand and beginning the process of creating the blade. Naruto slowly closed his eyes, concentrating hard as he flowed his chakra into her. She was becoming even harder to keep down now as Naruto felt splices of pain all across his body. She had managed to wrap her teeth around upper part of his hand and was tearing hard at the flesh there. 'Only a little longer,' thought Naruto, continuing the process, 'This must be precise. Too high, I will kill her, and I must not allow that yet. Too low it will not allow her the feeling. It must be…here!' The blade hardened and formed under her skin, just below the middle, base of her spine. Naruto forced it forward, severing the nerves endings delicately. The girl gave a soft 'oh' before launching into a blood curdling scream. 'Good,' thought Naruto, 'that means the incision was a success.' The pain slowly subsided as the girl continued wailing in agony. Naruto opened his eyes and stood up straight, looking down on her. Her entire body had gone completely limp save for her neck which still retained some movement as she stared empty-eyed at her now motionless limbs.

"What…what the hell," she said, her voice panicked and fearful, "what did you do?"

Naruto did not respond to her question, but began rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He quickly bent down and grabbed one of her limp arms by the wrist. He pinched the skin lightly, eliciting a sharp intake of breath from the girl. Naruto smiled, satisfied with his success. "Good," he said, "this will make creation a much easier task." He reached behind himself into the belt attached to his red bodysuit, pulling out a small scalpel and holding it firmly in his hand. The girl's entire face exploded in fear, her eyes growing wide as she screamed desperately for help, her voice echoing against the night sky. Naruto's furrowed his brow, his brain racking at where to begin first. "I suppose the torso would be best to start. It is after all the center of the piece." He bent at his knees, straddling himself over the girl's torso. "You should be honored," he said, looking into the girl's frightened eyes, "you're going to be a masterpiece that will incite the greatest work I have ever done. Your new existence will be the fire that lights my dream. Be proud that your meaningless ligr will bring about great changes." He slowly brought his left hand down on top of her stomach, palming the surface, keeping it flat before bringing the scalpel down and creating a long incision across her clothing, just skimming the surface of the skin as a long trail of blood marked his path across her body. Her screams grew louder, the pain no doubt becoming overwhelming at this point, but in the end, she should be thankful-

Naruto felt himself slammed back into his own mind, returning to the rubble and debris of the death filled room. He took in a huge gasp of air, like he was coming out from under the surface of a bottomless pool of water. Set's hand was still clamped firmly to his head as he struggled harder against him.

"YOU SICK, TWISTED SON OF A BITCH," roared Naruto, desperately trying to throw Set's hand off of him, "I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Oh stop Naruto," growled Set, "I know it's an acquired taste, but you can't acquire a taste for something unless you drink. So, DRINK UP!"

Naruto stared down at the piece so far. The flesh of the torso bled fervently, every shape and pattern dripping small trickles of blood down her skin. Naruto shifted her posture slightly, creating a more symmetric form for the blood to follow. The designs had come out quite well, considering the unusual softness of her flesh. It peeled away like wet paper, revealing the sinewy, red muscles beneath, pulsating and flowing splendidly. Naruto's eyes slowly traced towards its face. She had stopped screaming some time ago, and her face was now etched in permanent agony, tears flowing from her eyes so fast they melted the snow underneath her face, but it was not correct. Her face still bore anger, a slight scowl appearing on her visage. This one was particularly hard to break, but everyone broke eventually, it would only take time and effort, and the harder it was, the more beautifully the piece would turn out. Naruto stared at her face for a moment, watching the tears trace down her face. "Brilliant," he said aloud, "I believe I've had an epiphany." He bent down at the waist, placing one hand gently under her head and raising it up. With the other, he brought the blade down directly under her eyelid. Her eyes grew wide, her breathing sporadic and broken, more of a choking gurgle now. Her wounds pulsated faster, but Naruto would ensure that her blood loss would be trivial. The blade connected to her face, drawing blood immediately as he slowly traced down past her chin, mimicking the tears that trailed down her face. Her mouth shaped into a silent scream as she choked loud and pathetically-

"STOP!"

The world around him hit Naruto again with more force than last time. His body felt drained, like the chakra was being pulled from his body. Fatigue was beginning to hit him so hard his legs were beginning to fall under his own weight.

"Stop," yelled Naruto, "She doesn't deserve that. Why are you doing this?"

Set did not answer, but his demeanor changed for a split second. There was a horrid determination wrapped around his face, his eyes screwed in concentration. This task seemed to be physically taxing him as well. "It is my dream Naruto. This piece will move through flawlessly. We will create the greatest work ever known. The gods themselves will weep at my genius, and the world will be rocked to its core by the true art!"

Naruto reached towards her legs, quickly tearing the clothing surrounding her legs. He pondered for a moment before driving fist hard into them, breaking the bones in a single, sickly crack. She gasped loudly, but no other sound escaped her lips, her face contorted in sheer agony. "Such a difficult pallet to work with," said Naruto-

"Stop torturing her!"

Naruto did not know how much time had passed, but it felt like an eternity. Every time, he would break back into reality, like a cold tsunami had struck him hard, sapping him of all his energy, and every time, he would be plunged back down into the depths to watch as TenTen endured mutilation as if he himself was doing it. He could feel Set's sick excitement, coursing though him like boiling water. He could feel the warmth slowly leaving TenTen's skin, and every time it got worse. Set switching her from position to position, mutilating her body, all the while treating her like some object made for his 'art'; TenTen's expression becoming more and more helpless, like the soul was being sucked from her body; all of it became more than Naruto could bear. His body felt empty, just like the training under the perverted hermit, but his mind was racked with pain, foreign thoughts violating and engraining themselves within his memory. He wanted it to stop. He wanted revenge. He wanted Set to feel the same pain that she had felt. He wanted to crush him. He didn't care about control anymore, he just knew one thing. This man had hurt his friend and continued to hurt her with his existence. So for the first time in a long while…he let go.

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Kakashi stared at Tsunade's dumbfounded expression as he finally finished his story, his mouth feeling exceptionally dry at the end of it. He doubted how much of it she actually believed, but the look of shock and horror on her face told him that she believed enough. She tried to stammer out something, but her mouth could not form a coherent word. Finally, after much effort, she managed to spill out a question.

"And this man," said Tsunade in disbelief, "…no matter what you did…just…didn't…he just kept coming back?" Kakashi nodded his head once quickly, leaving Tsunade even more shocked than before. "And, you're sure the Raikage is working with him?"

"There's no doubt in my mind," replied Kakashi stoically, "Whenever we were close to Hiketsu, if felt like every part of my body was sapped of any warmth at all, like cold icicles were being pushed hard through my veins. These two nins give off a similar, albeit less intense, feeling. Surely you felt that when you were close to them."

"Yeah," said Tsunade, her voice more of a whisper now, her mind no doubt racked from this new information. "Orochimaru, the Raikage, and now this, what are we in here?"

"I wish I knew," said Kakashi, "but I have a feeling we're going to find ou-" The ground quaked and shook underneath their feet, the walls cracking and throwing debris to the ground. Kakashi gasped as a foreign force overwhelmed him. Tsunade's eyes went wide as a familiar evil sensation swept over them. They stared at each other for a moment before coming to the same conclusion. Kakashi kicked open the door and rushed out into the hallway, Tsunade right behind him as he climbed the stairs quickly towards the roof. He smashed open the final door, but stopped dead in his tracks at the sight before him.

The dull black and grey of the sky had been changed to a brilliant orange that beat down heavy rays of light on top of them, showering the entire village in long rays of illumination. An overpowering burning sensation enveloped every part of his body. He had felt something like this once before, when his sensei had sealed the demon beast thirteen years ago.

"No," said Kakashi, his voice in disbelief, "Naruto, what have you done?"

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The Raikage stared out into the open air, his mouth left gaping as the cool, black night had suddenly been replaced by a horrible orange glow that shined like a second sun. The stars and clouds seemed to have been cut away, and a horrible, evil feeling permeated through, striking him with a deep fear. The doors to his chambers burst open, revealing a panting ANBU standing there, the same terrified expression on his face.

"Raikage-sama," he yelled desperately, but the Raikage merely waved a hand down at his entrance.

"I can see it," the Raikage replied coolly, "it's coming from there, the facility." He paused for a moment, racking at his brains to desperately figure out the situation. This sensation was like nothing he had ever felt before, almost an otherworldly presence surrounding them. "Gather two squads of ANBU and meet me by the canyon entrance," he yelled, opening up a compartment in the wall and quickly suiting himself in battle armor, "Do not move until I have arrived. Go now!" The ANBU bowed quickly and raced down the hall, leaving the doors wide open as spectators raced by his door to the nearest window, no doubt to gaze at the dazzling display in the sky. "Is this your doing Hiketsu? Or is this another horror I have yet to encounter in this world." The Raikage brushed the thoughts from his mind and stormed out of his chambers, slamming the doors behind him as he rushed for the canyon entrance.

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Jiraiya affixed his gaze hard on the orange heavens, standing stock still on the canyon's peak as he watched the evil chakra disperse and fill the air like a midday sky. His normally vibrant face stood completely still, his eyes focused hard, and his expression dire. 'I was right to follow him,' he thought, 'I knew I shouldn't have left him in Gai's care. Fourth, let's hope that your 'hero' does not turn out to be the monster we all thought he would be.'

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Lee stared completely dumbfounded at the intense display that suddenly burst through the sky in an aurora of orange lights, dazzling his eyes so much they burned from the intense light. Lee stared at these lights transfixed as a horrible sensation burned at every cell in his body. It was the closest thing Lee could describe as 'evil', an intense fear and hatred that suddenly struck inside his chest and spread through the rest of his body like a blaze. Yet, somehow, amidst all the unknown and despicable feelings flowing through him, a familiarity permeated through. He could almost recall this stir scratching badly at the back of his head as he strived to remember it, but every time, this thoughts came to the same scene, the same moment, and the same person.

"Naruto," the word escaped Lee's lips in a final confirmation. He quickly jumped out of the snow that had surrounded his legs and sprinted towards the pulsating lights in front of him.

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Sasuke stared up at the bright orange sky in front of him. The sensation hit him with an intense déjà vu, but did not stir him. "Naruto," the words escaped his lips as he realized this same sensation was from before. It was the same from when he had battled Naruto in the canyon. Sasuke smiled slightly as he watched the orange sky dance before his eyes. "You never change. But I have, and I will prove that soon."

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Set grasped wildly at Naruto's face as wave after wave of powerful emotions threw him backwards, grabbing at his skin with such force they tore at it with claws. His hair whipped around wildly and his eyes burned like he was in a powerful storm against an unstoppable wind that suddenly shifted in his direction. He had to keep walking forward as the power pushed him harder and harder backwards. He scraped his boots hard against the ground, but to no avail as sheer energy tossed him backwards hard, his body slamming hard into the opposite wall in a tremendous crack. The waves continued to push against him like a powerful tsunami, wrapping him amongst some of the most intense emotions he had ever felt, until finally, they stopped, and Set's body fell to the ground in a heap. He panted hard, taking in rich breaths of the ancient, dusty air that surrounded him. He slowly made his way to his knees, pitting himself on all fours before a blue sandal cracked the ground in front of him. Set craned his neck up to see Naruto, or some creature that looked like him, glaring back at him. Naruto's hair had grown long and wild, becoming so large it fell down and wrapped around his face like a great mane, and in the center of that mane was a snarling, beast looking back at him. His eyes had turned completely blood-red, slit, like a cat's, and great long fangs grew in his mouth, gnashing like a dog's teeth. A transparent, orange cloak swirled and wrapped around him. It formed claws on his hands and feet, along with two long ears on his head, and a long, swishing, translucent tail behind him. It almost looked like the visage of a monster had possessed him. Set pushed himself to his feet, looking at Naruto whose eyes burned hotter than anything he had ever seen before.

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Hot. Everything around Naruto felt like it was boiling. The air, the ground under his feet, every cell in his body, even his blood felt red hot as his heart seemed to double in size, pumping the vicious liquid quickly through his veins. He felt like a living flame, an evil fury coursing through his soul. But despite all this, he almost felt relieved. Nothing held back, and everything simply let go. The Kyuubi's chakra swirled like raw emotion inside of him, amplifying everything he felt, his frustrations, his rage, his sorrow, everything was out in the open.

Naruto glared hard at Set who cocked his head back at Naruto like he was some oddity. Naruto waited a single moment, letting everything sink into his system. 'This man hurt my friend,' thought Naruto, 'and he enjoyed it. He cannot live.' He lunged at Set, the sheer force of his jump breaking the ground under his feet as he caught Set around the waist. The force of their collision broke the wall in two as they slammed hard into it, the ropes holding up the corpse decorations snapping, allowing the bodies to fall back towards the earth. Naruto's hands fought hard against Set's own, as Set struggled to push Naruto away from him, but his arms slowly began to give in. Naruto snapped his own neck back and rammed his head like a cannon ball into Set's chest. A gurgled wheeze escaped Set's lips as his chest seemed to collapse from the impact, covering Naruto's head in blood from Set's mouth. Naruto glared up at Set, a permanent scowl etched across face as the memories of Set torturing TenTen came through. "Do you think that was what she felt," roared Naruto, his own voice overflowing with malice, "Do you think that pain was anything like what you did to her? ANSWER ME!" Naruto gripped hard in the lock against Set's hands, breaking his wrists at the joint as Set let out a howl of pain. Naruto let go of Set's hands and reared his own arm back. He threw his right arm forward, his hand open to catch Set in the throat and clamp his fingers around his neck. Set choked hard against Naruto's grip, but could not retaliate as his own eyes stared up lifelessly at the ceiling. "You won't get to die so easily," snapped Naruto, "not until you feel as much pain as she did!"

He threw Set's flailing body through the air with all his might, watching as Set hit the far wall with another tremendous crash. Set stuck in the imprint of his own body for a moment before falling face first towards the ground, coughing up spurts of his own blood and bile. Naruto threw his arm behind him, feeling the Kyuubi's chakra build in his own hand. He flung his arm forward sending a gigantic claw of chakra straight to where Set lay. The claw caught him in a tight embrace as Naruto pulled his arm towards the ground bringing the chakra claw back towards him. Naruto reared back his left, building every fiber of hate in his body into one single punch as the chakra built and swirled around his left hand. Set flew through the air, his body immobilized by the chakra's vice-like grip on him. Naruto waited, readying himself, almost looking forward to delivering such a fearsome blow to his enemy. Set came careening towards him just as Naruto snapped his left hand forward to connect with Set's face. The impact of the blow blasted Set with the force of an explosion, knocking his body so hard his carcass flipped head-over-heels through the air to come crashing straight into the gigantic iron door. A melodic note, like a bell's of a tower being beaten on, accompanied Set's landing into the metal door. The impact rocked it, breaking its massive hinges and collapsing into the next room as it smashed into the floor in a riot of dust, debris, and blood.

Naruto felt an immense feeling of satisfaction accompany the rage that pumped through him. "You better not be dead yet," he yelled at where Set lay, "I'm not done with you!" He bounded over in a single leap on top of the iron door, back into one of the glass rooms. Set lay in the middle of the room, surrounded by an ever growing pool of his own blood, but his chest rose slowly up and down and a harsh, forced breath still escaped his lips. "Good," mocked Naruto, "I want you to be alive. I want you to feel everything that she felt. I want you begging me for death, whining and pleading with me!" These words almost seemed foreign to Naruto. His own mind was racked with confusion by them as they did not seem his own, but that did not distract him. He walked slowly towards Set, his every step breaking the ground under his feet. He stood triumphantly over Set, like a predator inspecting his kill as Set's eyes barely returned his stare. "Nothing to say Set," asked Naruto, "You bleed an awful lot for a god! But then again, you're not god. You're just some dead punk who's going to suffer before he dies like the coward he is." Naruto lunged furiously at Set, grabbing him by the shoulders and tossing him effortless into the glass cases surrounding them. The accompanying cacophony of thousands of small chimes being hit at once came full blast as Set's body smashed through the entire glass display, bringing a thousand jagged shards crumbling down on top of him. Naruto watched the entire thing crash down upon Set, grinning maliciously the entire time. Naruto's eyes searched through the pile and came upon a particularly jagged piece of glass atop it. He plucked it quickly from the rest of the pile and threw it slightly in the air a few times before allowing it to rest in his hand. He waited, staring into the crumbled house of glass, waiting for Set to reemerge. He could still feel his irritating presence.

The glass began to shift and falter as Set clawed his way out of the pile, jagged cuts and pieces of glass littering his body leaving fine trails of blood to trickle down his body. He couldn't even stand now, but was forced to crawl on all fours, spitting blood in his wake. "You think that's even a fraction of what she felt," asked Naruto, "No, I think we can do better than that Set." Naruto reached for Set's leg and pulled him violently to his stomach, flipping him over on his back as he stood over him. Naruto brushed the jagged shards of glass from his body quickly, some of the ends embedded so deep in Set's skin they broke at the impact, eliciting painful groans from him. Naruto stared down at Set, reminiscent of how Set had stared down at TenTen. He could still remember the scene like he had been there, engrained in his mind as it now was. Naruto raised the glass shard in his hand up high, Set making little motion to block or move; he merely lay there, waiting for it. Naruto brought the glass straight into Set's chest piercing and breaking hard into Set's sternum. The reaction was immediate as a horrid scream echoed through the room. Blood exploded from the wound, every beat of Set's heart bringing more to the surface. Naruto put both hands around the glass and dragged it down Set's body, dissecting him like a lab experiment. Set roared in pain, his body convulsing, bending, twisting, and turning under the pressure of the glass. "Is that how she screamed," asked Naruto, his voice growing more and more violent with each passing second, "Is this the pain she felt? IS IT?" Naruto pulled harder, cutting deep into Set's abdomen, a long river of blood marking Naruto's progress down Set's body. Suddenly, Set's body fell completely limp, no movement, and the blood stopped flowing from the wounds. Naruto stared down at Set for a few moments, but received no response, Set's body lying motionless on the ground. Naruto pulled his own hands away from the glass and stood up looking down at the last vestiges of his enemy. "No one hurts my friends," snapped Naruto, "no one." Just then, a small cough rattled Set's lips. "Still alive are we. I can remedy that." But the cough grew and then changed to what sounded like a whimper, but then suddenly, changed into the horrible, crow cackle as Set's body convulsed with laughter, the sound banging off the walls and expanding ten fold. "Stop it," growled Naruto, but Set's laughter seemed to increase. His laughter grew maddening, his jaw almost distended his mouth was so wide. His body arched on itself as Set threw his head hard against the ground over and over again, laughing even harder with every self-injury. Blood expunged itself from every orifice in his body during every breath he took, but he did not cease. "Stop laughing," roared Naruto, pouncing on Set and driving his body back on the ground. Naruto reared back his fist and drove it across Set's face, sending more blood to join the growing pool collecting around Set but still he cackled maniacally.

"OH YEAH," howled Set, "I CAN ALMOST TASTE YOUR ANGER IT'S SO RAW!"

"SHUT-UP" Naruto brought his fist across Set's face again, knocking a few more teeth out of Set's mouth to scatter across the floor, but still he laughed even harder still. "STOP LAUGHING!" He brought his fist down again, plastering Set's face with such a thick layer of blood it dripped like honey down his face.

"MORE! BEAUTIFUL SWEET RAGE!"

"SHUT-UP," another right, "STOP LAUGHING," he drove his fist across Set's face again, "SHUT-UP," another, "SHUT-UP" and another "SHUT-UP" Set's jaw distended from his mouth, hanging sickly by the skin of his cheeks; his nose cracked hard to the left at almost 90 degrees, pointing awkwardly away; more teeth broke from Set's gum line, leaving his mouth a swollen, bleeding mess; the skin of his face broke into cuts but his face was so covered in blood it looked like a red mask had been painted there, and the small rivers merely joined the swelling lake across his face, but still he laughed, his mouth hanging wide open like a broken doll's.

Naruto's right hand bled freely with each shot on Set's remaining visage, but quickly resealed itself leaving only pellets of blood to hit the ground. With every successive punch he felt angrier. More and more it piled on him like a stack of weights across his back. The Kyuubi's chakra swirled so hard around him he felt a torrent of wind and debris around him. Another hit, and another, he could no longer feel his hand his fist was so numb. His eyes could not even see the mangled form of Set in front of him; his vision was clouded with image after image rolling in his head like a reel. The villager's scathing remarks; the horrible loneliness he felt daily; holding a dieing comrade in his arms amidst a torrent of ice; fighting against a white-eyed figure that mocked him relentlessly; grappling with a disfigured, demonic force shrouded in sand; driving a swirling blue sphere into the gut of a white-haired, bespectacled man; and battling with someone he considered his brother, as the last vestiges of their bond felt like they were slipping away; every one of these scenes rolled in front of his eyes in a flash, intensifying his anger. He kept punching, harder and harder, Set's laughter fading away as he felt himself slipping from reality.

Suddenly, the world came back into focus. He found himself in the glass-shattered room once again, standing atop a bloody and mangled opponent. His own hand was raw and soaked in blood, whether his own or Set's he didn't know, or care. He stood up on his feet, staring down at what remained of Set's face. His face was etched in a permanent grin, his jaw still hanging sickly to his side. The rest of his face was covered in so much blood it was not discernable. Naruto should have felt something, remorse, sadness, even satisfaction, but he didn't. All he felt was anger. It didn't leave him. It demanded more from him.

"Naruto…what did you do?" The voice came through clearly as Naruto whipped his body around to see the bowl-headed nin standing in front of him, his round eyes open wide with shock, staring at the vivid scene of destruction that Naruto had created for him.

"_Konoha Senpuu," said the nin, sweeping Naruto's legs out from under him and sending him spiraling on his back towards the wall…_

"Na-ruto," choked the bowl-headed nin. The world snapped back into reality as another reel passed in front of Naruto's eyes. He didn't remember moving at all, but he now had the bowl-headed nin pinned up against the nearest wall, his fingers clamped tightly around his neck as he pressed deeper against his throat. The nin struggled furiously, kicking and punching hard at Naruto, but he neither felt the pain nor moved from his spot. A small voice deep inside his mind was screaming furiously for him to stop, spouting words like 'friend' and 'precious people', but he could not hear it clearly amidst the maelstrom of rage that swirled around him. Naruto flexed the fingers of his free hand and brought it back, the orange chakra balling up tightly around him. "Die," growled Naruto as he rocketed his arm forward towards the nin's face.

Suddenly, a large hand grabbed his fist and held him there, pushing hard against Naruto's strength. An old nin had appeared, long tendrils of grey-white hair whipping against Naruto's power, his face steeled in intense concentration as he fought against Naruto's strength. The old man's free hand came up quickly, hitting Naruto hard in the face and sending him sprawling backwards. Naruto flipped in midair to land skidding on all fours, roaring furiously at the interference.

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Lee coughed hard, his lungs greedily taking in air as his eyes watered from the strain. He opened them wide, staring in utter horror as Naruto let out a beastly roar that shook the entire room like an earthquake.

"Stay back kid," came a voice from Lee's side, "don't try to interfere." Naruto pawed against the ground, sharpening the his long, claw-like fingernails against the stone with an awful screech. The old nin worked fast, his hands moving furiously in front of him before he slammed his palms against the floor. "Ninpo-" Naruto sprang forward through the air towards the old man slashing madly. "- Frog Bind Jutsu!" Dozens of long, pale tongues cracked through the ground and wrapped themselves around Naruto, pulling him hard to the ground. Naruto pulled hard against them, stretching them hard as he stood on his feet growling and flailing like a caged beast. The old man reached his left hand behind him as a single, purple flame appeared on each one of his fingers. Naruto threw himself forward, pulling some of the tongues out of the ground in a loud snap as he regained mobility, pawing for the old man.

The old nin sprinted forward, keeping his left hand out to his side. The tongues binding Naruto's arm snapped hard and Naruto slashed through the air as the old man ducked under him, pulling up Naruto's shirt with his free hand. A large black spiral, circled by many seals Lee did not recognize had been placed around Naruto's navel, and the old man slammed his left hand hard against that spot. The effect was immediate; Naruto's body convulsed and arced as if he were being stabbed from all sides. The long mane around his face slowly began to shorten, his claw-like nails slowly coming back to normal. His eyes began to droop slightly, then closed completely as he fell into a deep sleep. His entire body grew limp, and the tongues disappeared back into the ground as Naruto fell into the old man's arms. The old man breathed a heavy sigh of relief as he turned back to Lee.

"You…you're Jiraiya," stammered Lee, "one of the legendary Sannin."

"No time for stating the obvious kid," he replied.

"What are you doing here, and what happened to Naruto?"

Jiraiya opened his mouth to speak but was cut off from shouts of several men coming from the rooms behind them. "Get up," ordered Jiraiya quickly, Lee springing to his feet in an instant. "We have to get out of here now." Jiraiya's head snapped in every direction, finally making a charge towards the room in the back. Lee followed quickly, jumping over the gigantic iron door that lay broken on the ground. He quickly found himself reeling from the sight of hundreds of mangled corpses littering the ground of a square room. "Did Naruto do this," said Lee in disbelief.

"They've been dead for awhile but it's not important now," yelled Jiraiya, his eyes scanning every part of the room. "There," he said, his gaze affixed to the roof. Lee stared up to see a patch of black sky interrupting the rusted, iron walls. "Climb up there and get out."

"I cannot jump that high, nor can I cling to the walls," said Lee, his voice somewhat embarrassed, discussing his inadequacies.

"No time for arguments kid," said Jiraiya, tossing Naruto into Lee's arms. Lee's eyes shot opened in shock as he dropped Naruto to the floor, backing away slightly. "What are you doing," yelled Jiraiya, "you both need to get out of here now!"

"What happened to him," shouted Lee, "that was not the Naruto I know! What is wrong with him?" Jiraiya scowled in frustration, picking Naruto up by his jumpsuit and throwing him hard at Lee, who caught him deftly.

"He won't wake up for hours," snapped Jiraiya, "all you need to know is that there are about twenty Hidden Cloud ANBU heading this way. If they find Naruto or any of us here, what do you think they'll do?" Lee opened his mouth, but found that words escaped him. As much as he wanted to know what had overcome his friend, he realized Jiraiya had a point. He kneeled down and backpacked Naruto behind him, crooking his arms underneath Naruto's legs. "Get a running start towards me, QUICKLY!" Naruto stepped a few paces back, pausing for a moment to steady Naruto. He sprinted towards Jiraiya's outstretched hand, his palm face-up. Lee placed a single foot in Jiraiya's hand as Jiraiya heaved him with all his might towards the broken ceiling. Lee could feel the wind cut at his face as his body scraped against the iron sides, barely pulling the two of them out into the open air. Lee's legs flailed in the air for a moment, looking for solid ground to land on, but found none. He arced over the roof of the building and found himself plummeting back towards the snow below. Lee let go of Naruto for a moment and spun himself around so he faced Naruto. Every demonic visage Lee had seen before had disappeared, leaving Naruto looking normal. He reached out with both arms and grabbed him tightly. The wind whipped around them hard for an instant before Lee felt the snow hit him hard on the back. The impact knocked the wind out of him, but the snow had cushioned his fall. He sat up quickly, checking on Naruto. He was still sleeping calmly, whatever Jiraiya did to him having a profound effect. Lee placed his prone friend back on top of him and sprinted back towards Hidden Cloud, light beginning to permeate through the thick clouds overhead as dawn came down over the snowy desert.

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Jiraiya brought his hands in front of him, forming seals quickly as he heard the ANBU approaching his position faster and faster. 'If they find me at all I won't hear the end of it from Tsunade,' thought Jiraiya glibly. He channeled chakra around him and slammed his hands into the ground, sending a surge of chakra all around the complex.

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"I want every inch of this place inspected," roared the Raikage as he made his way forward though the complex, "no one gets in or out. Squad 5, come with me Set's room, the rest of you leave no stone unturned in your search!" The ANBU saluted the Raikage quickly before moving to their assigned tasks. The Raikage quickly turned on his heel and sprinted down the hallway. He wanted this place demolished some time ago since the incident, but Hiketsu insisted it remain in ruins. 'This better not be another one of your damn experiments,' thought the Raikage as he rushed past the ancient corpses that laid undisturbed here. Suddenly, a familiar voice lurched through the entire facility.

"Ninpo, Frog Stomach Bind!" The rusted iron of the walls transformed in an instant, turning sickly, pale pink and engulfing everything around them.

"Raikage-san," shouted the ANBU behind him. The Raikage snapped his body around as the ANBU hacked furiously at the pink tendrils of flesh that slowly worked their way around their bodies, trapping them inside the walls and floors, but the Raikage's mind was elsewhere.

"That voice," growled the Raikage, "I remember that voice." His hand slowly came up to touch the left side of his face where the long scar trailed down his body. An overwhelming anger came over him as his hands moved in a blur in front of him. "Thunder Element, Fury of the Thunder God!" His hands crackled with blue electricity, hissing and popping as they burned the air around him. He rose his hands above his head and slammed his fists into the ground, sending the long wires of electricity through the pink floors below him. The flesh beneath his feet steamed and cooked, sending a pungent odor into the air as electricity shot through the entire facility. The ANBU behind him screamed in pain, but the Raikage paid them no heed. "He's here," he snapped, "after all these years he's finally here!" All of a sudden, the pink flesh of the walls disappeared and the ANBU collapsed to their knees, panting as jolts of electricity still flowed through their bodies. The Raikage ran from through room after room. "He's here," he roared, "I know he's here! After all this time, finally-" He stopped in his tracks as he came to the final room before Set's. The glass prisons here laid shattered to pieces on the ground and fresh blood littered the room, painting it like a mosaic. The Raikage walked forward, inspecting a particularly large crater in the ground. There was nothing there save for a large pool of fresh blood. He snapped his head to the left to see a gigantic section missing from the wall. A large circular chunk had been cut through it, revealing the brick and iron beneath it. "Set," growled the Raikage under his breath, "no one can cut through that so precisely." The Raikage threw the thought from his mind; as much as he wanted to hunt Set down and punish him for his actions, more important events raced through his mind. He quickly leapt over the gigantic iron door that led into Set's room. It was completely demolished. The normal, corpse chain that Set had been collecting for years lay mangled and broken on the floor, and large imprints lay broken in the walls. But the Raikage's target was nowhere to be seen. "I know I heard him," spat the Raikage, "They have the audacity to bring him here! But I will have my revenge. Jiraiya…you butcher of men."

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Set ambled through the snow that whipped around him, pulling one foot in front of the other as the cold bit at his bare skin. But that didn't matter, nothing mattered. He flowed more chakra through his body, the ligaments and joints inside of him quickly healing and resetting themselves in their ordinary positions. "Such rage," chortled Set, "such raw emotional fury. I was completely overwhelmed. This…is inhuman. Finally, after all this time, my masterpiece will be complete! What a glorious day this is! I cannot wait! I cannot wait…

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A/N Whew, that was long. Hope you all enjoyed it. This is the longest chapter in my story to date. I had intended for it to be longer, but decided to cut some stuff out for next chapter. I really need to stop setting deadlines because I can never stick to them. In any case, usually I have a very short A/N section, but I decided that since people have taken the time to write to me, I should respond to them. If I miss you, don't be offended. I've probably just run out of space, or have had a brain fart or something. So basically, you can stop reading here if you want to as the rest is just author ramblings. I'll do this every once in a while, but probably not regularly so once again don't be offended. I read all reviews and take any criticism and detail into account and appreciate any and all feedback I get. I take criticism well, so don't be afraid to snub me on some issues if you want to. I don't like being flamed (no one does), but if you back up your argument with some rationale, that's fine too. In any case, let's start from the top.

-Sharingan100

Glad to hear you enjoy the story. I always like positive review. In any case, I wish you had made this comment before I started because that would have been an interesting plot twist. Alas, I am not so creative. The Raikage has a name, as you learned here, Hakkyou Gisei, and has a history all his own. Still, that was a nice theory, but the scar on the left side of his face has other significant purposes to this story. Thanks again for the review.

-Youkou

The entire thing in TWO DAYS? I don't think I can read that fast. That's impressive in any case, and glad to hear I created a story that peaked your interest enough to stick to it. Thanks for taking the time to review. As for how I came up with two of my OC's that's at the bottom of this list.

-Matar

Thanks for the compliment man/girl/whatever (jk), still, thank you for taking the time to review. To solve the mystery of my gender, I'm a guy, I just don't know how to use that bio thing for the profile (I'm not very computer savvy). I am currently 18 years old, starting college, enjoy long walks on the beach, weight lifting, and aspire one day to become a pirate. But I digress, thanks again.

-MarshMellowDragon

TenTen's paralysis will come into play later in the story, but as you said, at least she's alive. In any case, thanks for the review.

-Master Chaos

Yep, Hiketsu actually serves a dual purpose. He's the first OC I originally came up with, and he serves as a Deus Ex Machina at times (i.e. Kakashi's Sharingan). However, when I make an OC I try to make them interesting, non-self-inserts so people who read my story won't leave with a very pissed-off-at-author feeling. Thanks for saying I'm an excellent author by the way. This is just fanfiction, but I'm easily flattered. Thanks for the review.

-madnarutofan

Yep, most of my stories are fairly lengthy just because I work on them off and on. In the beginning I had a lot of time to work, but that time has slowly dwindled away so I compensate with length. As for Naruto, he is the protagonist and he has several problems in this story and rage is definitely one of them. We'll see how far it goes from here. Thanks for writing.

-Daniel of Lorien

Thanks for the review. Glad to see you think I write well. I think I'm okay, but I can always improve. I know there are flaws in my writing but I'm still glad people enjoy it.

-GreatSaiyaman

Glad to hear about your love of my fic. As for pairings, although romance is inclined in some scenes it's not really the basis for this fic. Will there be pairings? Somewhat. I won't say no because I've mapped out this fic but am always changing it. The reason the pairings aren't too serious save for some platonic borderline boyfriend/girlfriend relationships is because the characters aren't too old. Usually 13 to 14. But the relationships will stay simple. No lemons (as I recently figured out what that is) as I can't see 13 and 14 year olds being that passionately in love, or even doing that (i.e. I don't want Naruto to score before I do.) In any case, we'll see where romance takes us, but it'll be mostly for the furthering of the story if anything else.

-Hopeless Romantic

Sorry I can't pump em out that fast. A lot of authors are better at that then I am so sorry on that count. I'll see if I can speed up, but no promises as I'm horrible about sticking to deadlines. Thanks for writing in any case.

-Sully411

Wow, glad to hear I elicited some emotions from you with my writing, even if I am a sadistic bastard as you said. Also glad to hear that you got attached to my OC, even if he is a sadistic bastard. As for romance, see above. In actuality, I had, and still plan, to make this more of an epic than anything else. By that I mean that you are currently reading the first part in a three part series. When I set out to write the story, I originally wanted to do it in three parts. Currently, Paths to Power is the first one and I think we're about halfway through this one. In any case thanks for the review.

-Liliath

Once again, I guess I'm glad to hear you're freaked out about TenTen's condition because that means you felt something. Still, thanks for reviewing. Always like to hear if I'm doing a good job, though I don't know if freaking you out is accomplishing that.

-Hisoka316

Thanks for the review man. I plan to keep updating even if the updates come kind of long, so keep on watchin' eh.

-Sky Spade

Glad to hear that it was worth the wait. Makes me feel good on the inside. Also nice to hear the string of complements too. Thanks again mate.

-Dragon Man 180

I'm building towards a dramatic resolution between Naruto and Set, so I can't say who's going to die or not. Glad to hear from you though man.

-Keltosh

I know I forgot to send you a thank you for the detailed analysis of my fic, so I'm very sorry for that but in any case, thank you very much for it. I always like constructive criticism, and you've offered me plenty. You've stuck with the fic for some time so I just want to say thanks for the reviews, e-mails, etc. Thanks again.

Well that's all for now, as that was all on the first page. I know I missed a lot of you, but I'll get to everyone eventually. Thanks for taking the time everyone.

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OCs

Well, I won't talk about both of them considering how long this AN is running right now, but I will talk about the main antagonist of the story, Izou Set.

My first thought when making this fic was that I needed an antagonist, someone to be Naruto's foil. Immediately I thought of Sasuke. But the thing about Sasuke is that he doesn't strike me as an antagonist. True, he creates difficulties for our hero, but his goal does not really clash with our hero's goal. Plus, a lot of people can write about Naruto fighting Sasuke better than I can, so I decided to go a different route. Thus, I wanted a character that could be really, really, REALLY evil. When I think of antagonists, the one that immediately pops into my mind is The Joker. If you don't know who The Joker is, shame on you. He is Batman's foil. Although Batman has many enemies, The Joker can be considered Batman's nemesis. So part of Set's personality comes from the clown prince of crime, mainly his insane side and all the laughing he does. Another part of Set comes from my obsession with RPGs, especially of the Final Fantasy series. In particular, my favorite villain in the series has been, and probably always will be, Kefka. If you don't know who Kefka is, that's okay, it's not really a slice of Americana like The Joker is. Kefka was a character who didn't have much motivation behind his actions besides an extreme hatred of all things living. It was this that made him such a love-to-hate type character, which is what I wanted my antagonist to be. Finally, my favorite villain of all time would be none other than Hannibal Lecter. Why? He talks so dignified despite the fact that he's a bloodthirsty, criminally insane, psychopath. That air of dignity is another item I wanted attached to my antagonist. So basically, I picked and chose, molded out a personality and past, and made up Set. I wasn't sure how an OC villain would fly as the main antagonist of the story, but it seems to have worked okay so far so that's good. His name comes from Set, Ancient Egyptian God of Evil, also known as Seth. Also, Set is short, so it's easy to write, even if it doesn't really sound Japanese. Well that's that. Hope you enjoyed and continue to enjoy the fic.


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